Absolution's Pursuit
by Mistress Sianna
Summary: In cleansing a hundred year old blemish from his family, Sesshoumaru invokes not only the wrath of his great and terrible sire, but even the gods themselves. Faced with the loss of that which he values most, he must find absolution... or be destroyed.
1. The Prologue

Absolution's Pursuit

The Prologue

* * *

No one knows for certain when the first youkai came into existence but their very presence upon the earth was contrary to the gods' desires.

It is said that the first youkai was born of the spirit of a bereft crane. It is well known that cranes mate for life, so when a pair of these devoted birds was separated by death, the male was left behind to mourn the loss.

Now most would not attribute such care and affection to an animal, but it is said that the crane mourned its mate bitterly, even going so far as to shed tears for its lost love.

It spent the remainder of its days in its lonely nest, leaving only to visit the last place it saw its mate alive.

After the female's demise, the male's health waned quickly. It hardly ate, rarely slept and became completely unwary of humans. It was the last of these which would end the crane's miserable life. Crouching beneath an ancient tree, the crane ignored the footfalls of the hunters and just like his mate before him, the bird was struck with an arrow and died just inches from the place his female drew her last breath.

The hunters took his emaciated body away, but something intangible remained.

The bird's spirit…

Instead of surrendering to the pallbearers of the underworld, the crane's spirit clung to the mortal plane in the misguided belief that if it remained, its mate would return.

The spirit remained in the same place for twelve consecutive cycles of the moon, but spirits were never meant to remain on the mortal plane so even the gods could not predict the outcome of such an anomalous event.

They looked on in wonder as the bird's soul became more and more cohesive with the passage of each cycle. Eventually, the crane became a solid form and appeared much as it did when it was alive.

This was the birth of the first youkai, or so the legends say. As the creatures did not initially seem intent on harming humans, the favored among the god's creations, the gods did not seek to intervene. As time went on, more youkai were born by the same method, and more youkai were born of these.

Since the gods were not directly responsible for their birth, the youkai were less bound to the laws of creation. It was because of this that the youkai were able to wield power that was not meant to exist on the mortal plane. In time, the more exceptional among them learned that they could alter their appearances, some even daring to take on the forms of humans. Many developed strange and awesome abilities, while others learned to steal the powers of these, and others still learned to command the elements themselves.

These abilities, together with their great strength and seemingly endless life spans caused the demons to develop a sense of superiority. They turned against the humans claiming them to be an inferior race not worthy to share the land with them. Unable to defend themselves against such great power, the humans fell in droves.

It was then that the gods decided to make their presence known upon the earth.

A man was born…

This man, unlike any before him was gifted with a tiny portion of the god's power and could burn the youkai clean, or "purify" them with but a single touch. Awed by his abilities the humans under his protection bestowed upon him the title of "Priest."

To this priest were born many sons and daughters, all gifted with the powers of their father. He advised his progeny that with their power came the responsibility to protect their dwindling race from the youkai who sought to eradicate them. They were to spread out, take residence in one of the villages and destroy any youkai who drew near. None were to be spared!

The young priests and priestesses did as they were told and with the generational growth of their numbers the human race returned from the brink of extinction.

Each new priest, priestess or monk seemed to grow more powerful than the generation before them and with the added gift of greater intellect among their species even the humans that were not granted with godly power learned techniques to stand against the youkai. It was these who began to hunt the youkai for profit.

Without the aid of the gods, the youkai's numbers began to dwindle and the gods were pleased that the humans were saved. But, as there are exceptions in nearly everything else there came into existence a youkai that was unlike all the others.

This youkai was not only compassionate toward humans but treated them as equals, in spite of the great power he came to wield. He claimed a territory in the west and even went so far as to take a human female as his second and most cherished wife. The gods were not without mercy and upon seeing his great love for humanity; they removed from him the one weakness they had placed upon all youkai.

He and those of his line would be granted immunity from all forms of purification.

His name was DaiGin, and this is the tale of his sons.


	2. The Final Promise

Absolution's Pursuit

Chapter 1: The Final Promise

* * *

Sesshoumaru's distaste for humans began when he was very young. Aside from their obvious fragility, and lack of innate power, he simply did not like the smell of them. From his observance most were rather untidy creatures but even those that were not could not remove from themselves the lingering stench of mortality.

Why his father ever bothered with such inferior creatures was far beyond the parameters of the demon lord's understanding.

Without discrimination, the Inu no Taisho had befriended and battled along side anyone he deemed worthy, their species bearing little importance against their honor, relative strength and valor.

When he finally settled in the west, he built a fortress in which all his old allies, supporters and vassals were welcome. In fact, there were at least two humans who had acted as his most trusted advisers until their short lives came to an end.

His youkai associates endured the presence of the humans in spite of their relative distaste for the inferior creatures. Many of the demons did not make it a secret that they held little regard for the mortals though they realized that their tolerance of them would ensure that they remained in the Inu General's good graces.

In time the Inu no Taisho took a wife.

The marriage was political, a bid to obtain more power and land, but, in time the General grew to care a great deal for his mate and one year after their union the demoness gave birth to his first son. As with the birth of most inu, Sesshoumaru's birth was greatly celebrated and within his first year of life, DaiGin named the pup as his heir. Both parents were extremely proud of their son and for a time, all was well.

It was not until his father took a second wife that things began to fall apart.

Without regard to his first mate, his son or his house the daiyoukai graciously welcomed into his home and his bed a human female by the name of Izayoi. It was a decision both Sesshoumaru and his mother resented bitterly, but as he was the lord of the house, the great inu was free to do as he pleased. From the first time he saw them together, Sesshoumaru knew that whatever his father felt for his mother, it paled in comparison to what he felt for the human.

It was sickening to watch as his father doted on the female as if she was the most precious thing in existence. When the youkai of his house began to notice how DaiGin fawned over his human mate, faint whispers of his strength and solidity began to stir. It was hinted at, on more than one occasion, that the human was weakening him and his weakness would bring susceptibility upon them all. This of course gave rise to issues they had been previously willing to ignore; issues like the lord's willingness to install humans as high ranking generals within his army, a decision that could prove fatal should another region decide to wage war against them.

Adding to the unrest that stirred ever so ominously beneath DaiGin's unwary nose was the pregnancy of his second wife. It was at that point, Sesshoumaru's mother decided that she could endure no more. She confronted the great general and presented him with an ultimatum. He would oust the human female from his bed and his home, together with their halfling pup, or she would leave him to return to her ancestral home.

"Then leave!" the General had told her, enraged at her audacity. "You will not force my hand on this or any matter! The pup she carries is just as much mine as is Sesshoumaru and I will abandon neither it nor the mother who carries it!" Then, taking a moment to calm himself he continued. "I care a great deal for you, Noriko and I am appreciative of all you have done for the western province. But, if you cannot accept my love for Izayoi and our pup, then your presence here is no longer welcome."

The demoness had glared at him and beneath the icy steel of her amber gaze was the sea of hurt she attempted to hide beneath a façade of indifference. The demoness' sharp ears did not miss his words and her even sharper mind was quick to decipher them.

'_I care a great deal for you, Noriko… If you cannot accept my love for Izayoi and our pup, then your presence here is no longer welcome.' _

The key word… was "love." It was a word he had never used when speaking to her or even in reference to her. In fact, this was the first time she had heard the deceptively benign word fall from his lips he had used it to describe his feelings for the one called Izayoi and the worthless halfling of a pup he sired with her.

"Then I shall go." Noriko had replied frigidly. "My honor has been impugned far too much already and I shall endure no more."

DaiGin's eyes narrowed in icy reflection of her own. "Is this your final decision?"

She hesitated for only a moment before his callous words echoed through her mind again.

"Yes." she hissed vehemently, her voice cracking only slightly beneath a wave of veiled emotion.

"Then go to your ancestral home and never return." DaiGin told her, his tone speaking of displeasure but not pain.

"Then I shall collect Sesshoumaru and be gone within the hour." she announced before turning away from him.

"You shall do no such thing!" the General roared, a dangerous edge to his tone. Noriko rounded on him, her trademark composure shattered by the look of incredulity she wore.

"What are you saying?" she demanded though she already knew what he meant.

"Sesshoumaru will not leave with you." he informed her, the dangerous glint in his eyes daring her to refute his words.

"Fool!" the demoness roared, her first true expression of disrespect toward the male that had been her lord and husband. "If you believe I am going to leave my pup here with you and that-!"

Noriko's words were cut off as a single clawed hand clamped down on her wind pipe instantly halting her ability to breathe. Almost before she realized what had happened, her deceptively slight form was hoisted from the floor in a flurry of fur and silk. Her hands instantly coming up to claw at the hand that held her, the female could do nothing as DaiGin ignored the rivulets of blood that sprang from the perforation of her claws. The great General glared up at her with glacial eyes.

"You will not take Sesshoumaru." his voice came out in a low, dangerous drawl. "He is my heir and to take him would be and act of treason; a declaration of war. I would not hesitate to destroy yourself and every member of your father's house."

His grip on her loosened but he did not let go. "Is that understood?"

Barely resisting the urge to bare her teeth in anger, the demoness did not respond for a long time. The General issued a warning growl and tightened his grip around the female's neck. "Answer now!" he roared, giving her a jolting shake for emphasis.

"Yes." she finally growled through tightly gritted teeth, faint wisps of red bleeding into her eyes.

Finally, the great inu released her and did not seem at all concerned when the woman fell into a heap on the beautifully polished floor of his study and began to cough violently.

He turned his back to her and in a voice that held no emotion told her to be out of his home before sunset. He gave her no final glance before he quit the room and made his way down the south west corridor. In his haste to distance himself from the woman that had been his first wife, DaiGin did not notice the adolescent pup that stood silently around a nearby corner.

* * *

Things only got worse after that…

With the departure of DaiGin's youkai mate, his house was weakened in ways he had not anticipated. In spite of the demoness' beauty and elegant appearance, she had been a fierce warrior, an exceptional strategist and a weapons master. Only in hindsight did he realize that it was a tactical error to let her go. To make matters worse, the General was later informed that he had lost Noriko's father as an ally.

Inevitably, his ability to keep hold of his territory was brought into question and the west was attacked by the Hakaisha; a clan of dragon youkai that claimed a small territory near the western border. Because Noriko's family also resided in the west, her father should have sent soldiers to aid in disposing of the threat but instead he remained true to his words and refused to lend his support.

DaiGin's forces would eventually win the war, but just barely. The remaining dragons attempted to retreat but the inu lord insisted that none be left alive. Enemies were to be shown no mercy and the annihilation of the Hakaisha clan would stand as a warning for any who sought to test his fortitude again.

So true to this testament was DaiGin, that in spite of injuries and fatigue, he decided to leave his territory to defeat Ryuukossei, leader of the Hakaisha. The dragon had not accompanied his soldiers and therefore was left alive after the decimation of his forces, a situation the inu lord sought to rectify.

Hearing of his father's foolishness, Sesshoumaru went to confront him.

"All of this could have been prevented and now you will throw your life away." He sneered then. "… And all for the sake of a pathetic human." the young inu had told his sire.

Only by sheer force of will did the General keep his claws from his son's neck. "You will not speak of her in that way." he warned darkly and the boy was able to hear the promise of bodily injury should he push his lord and father any further.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes but refrained from another biting comment against the female.

"You are making a mistake." Sesshoumaru warned, his tone now devoid of the tumultuous emotions that hid beneath the stark stoicism he projected.

The elder inu turned his back to him. "My decisions are my own. I will destroy Ryuukossei and then all will know that this DaiGin is not to be trifled with."

"But your decisions affect more than just yourself." Sesshoumaru insisted. "Can you not see that?"

The General was quiet for a long time.

"If I do not leave, the dragon will only come here and my entire house will be in jeopardy."

"Then let him come!" Sesshoumaru had shot back. "Our forces will destroy him just as we destroyed his army."

"I will not permit danger to draw near to her again!"

At his hastily spoken words, Sesshoumaru bared his fangs to his father's back. "So it is the human you fight for." he hissed sharply. To his further ire, DaiGin did not deny his words and the young inu felt swirls of red bleed into his eyes. Already his father had lost so much because of that insignificant woman and now he was willing to throw his very life away in the fool hearted desire to keep her safe.

In that moment, Sesshoumaru's mind flashed with memory and he recalled the day his mother had left. He recalled his father's harsh words and callous treatment and the way he made no attempt to go after her when she was gone. Now, at the risk of death he was going into battle, tired and injured against and opponent he knew to be formidable even in the best of circumstances.

"Is she truly that important to you?" Sesshoumaru questioned, not fully keeping the disgust from his tone.

Instead of answering his question the General said, "In the unlikely even that I do not return, you are to protect Izayoi and your younger sibling."

"No." Sesshoumaru said resolutely. "If you do not return, I shall wipe your mistakes clean from this house."

DaiGin spun in place intent on making the boy retract his words only to find that he was no longer there. "Insolent pup." he murmured tiredly. It was of no consequence, he decided, it was not as if he would allow himself to be killed by an oversized lizard anyway

* * *

Icy golden eyes stared impassively down upon the great and terrible DaiGin, the Inu no Taisho who had thrown his life away for the sake of a mortal woman.

"Father," Sesshoumaru whispered to the man who was no longer among the living, "You are a fool."

If nothing else, the young inu had to commend his father for dispatching his enemy before his apparent demise, but really, it was all so senseless.

Kneeling, he lifted his father's body in his arms and began the journey back to their home. As much as he resented the decisions his father had made, he would not allow the lord's remains to be desecrated and torn apart by the youkai scavengers.

With his own hands, Sesshoumaru buried DaiGin in the small eastern garden. He placed an engraved stone to mark his father's final resting place, secure in the knowledge that the female and pup he had died to protect soon would be joining him.

When he finally decided to act upon his promise, he discovered that the woman was gone. She had fled in the night shortly after discovering her mate's demise, apparently fearful that her safety among the youkai was at last at its end.

Though he was still very young, Sesshoumaru took the reins of the western province together with the territory that had been claimed by Ryuukossei. As expected, there were those who thought to exploit his youth and inexperience, but those met a swift demise at the end of his poisonous claws.

He ousted his father's human allies from his home, telling them that because of their loyalty and service they could remain on the land and under the protection of his rule. But he warned, not even their previous deeds would grant them mercy should they find themselves outside of his good graces.

Once his rule was firmly established, Sesshoumaru set out to find Izayoi, his promise to his father neither forgotten nor abandoned. In intermittent cycles, he searched for her for years. When at last he discovered her whereabouts, the woman was already dead, the pup she had given birth to missing without a trace.

Through bits and pieces of information, he discovered that the child was a male and his name was Inuyasha.

Eventually, he found the halfling whelp. He had been near the edge of a human settlement, dirty, starved and on the brink of death from a series of injuries.

Sesshoumaru looked upon the boy with a disgust that somehow was not related to either the pup's sorry condition or his mixed blood. He was so small, so… fragile. He could not have imagined how the boy had survived alone for as long as he had.

His miniscule form lay beneath the bare branches of an ancient elm pillowed in a bed of dead leaves. Though his hair was dirty and matted with dried blood Sesshoumaru could see that it was silver, just like their fathers… just like his own. As he moved closer, Sesshoumaru saw that the child's right hand and arm were completely covered in blood, but as he took in the child's scent he realized that this blood was not his own.

His attacker, Sesshoumaru realized and an odd sensation washed over him. Someone had attempted to harm him, and, as evidenced by the amount of foreign blood that covered him, the pup had retaliated, killing the human that sought to injure him.

Using his booted foot to roll the boy over, the young daiyoukai discovered that even though Inuyasha had fought back, he had not escaped without serious injury.

Illogically, he found himself enraged. Even though he planned to kill the boy himself, he was angered that these filthy humans had thought to spill the boy's blood. Tainted as it was, the Inu no Taisho's blood still flowed through his veins so to die at the hands of a human was not an acceptable fate.

He collected the child's limp form and turned to leave, but a muted growl made him pause in his steps. He looked down only to see that the boy had opened his eyes and was scowling up at him. "Put me down." Inuyasha demanded weakly.

Sesshoumaru looked into the boy's eyes absently noting that they were golden like his own. "No." he said, his voice a bland monotone.

The pup frowned lightly and a strange sort of recognition flashed in his eyes. "Who… who are you?"

For a long time Sesshoumaru simply stared at him and did not respond. Then, he finally looked away, his demonic cloud forming at his feet. "I am your brother… my name is Sesshoumaru."

* * *

Sesshoumaru watched over the pup as he slept, his injuries finally knitting beneath a layer of bandages. He had seen that the boy was cleaned and fed and now he simply needed time for his frail body to repair itself.

Retiring from his brother's newly designated room, Sesshoumaru headed to the eastern garden. Beneath the shimmering rays of the half moon, the young inu lord seated himself near the grave of his former lord.

"Father," he began softly. "I have not forgotten my promise to you. I _will_ kill the boy." he promised again, his eyes staring glassily into the horizon.

"However," he began after a long silent moment, "I will honor our noble blood. Though it is tainted by your foolishness, I will not spill his blood until he is fully capable of standing against me. I will train him myself and only when he is ready will I end his life and wipe the blemish of his existence from our family."

Standing, he brushed the stray debris from his clothing and turned to leave. He took several steps but then paused and glanced over his shoulder to the place his father lay.

"This is my final promise to you."


	3. A Sealing of Fates

Absolution's Pursuit

A Sealing of Fates

* * *

Sesshoumaru was true to his word; the final promise he would make to DaiGin, his great and terrible father. As soon as Inuyasha's wounds had healed enough to allow it, Sesshoumaru began training the boy to fight and together they began to learn of the pup's inherent abilities. Aside from the obvious attributes of his teeth and claws, they also discovered that he could create blades of wind from the very air around him and that even his blood could be used to revisit injury against the very one who had sought to harm him.

Though the training was intense for the child's young age, it was necessary for Sesshoumaru to hold back in his counterattacks lest he make good on his promise earlier than he intended.

Though he never explained why he was training the boy, Inuyasha never questioned him on it, and was more than eager to learn all he could from the elder inu. It had been surprising to learn how much the pup's presumably fragile body was able to endure. His fighting spirit, had been more surprising still.

Never once had Inuyasha backed away from the challenge and even though he was clearly outmatched, he never shrank away in fear. Though he was unaware of how much time the boy had spent on his own, it was clear that the time had hardened the boy. Finding acceptance neither among human or youkai, the hanyou was forced to resort to theft for his meals, maintain his meager possessions by force, and fight for his life on a daily basis.

The boy stayed with Sesshoumaru for years, training and gleaning any and everything he could from his elder sibling. In spite of the fact that Sesshoumaru showed him little regard outside of their training, Inuyasha eventually came to idolize the young daiyoukai. The boy looked upon him with love and admiration, his expressive golden eyes hiding nothing from the very sibling who had promised to take his life. The little hanyou became as his shadow, and because he did not abhor the child's presence nearly as much as he believed he would have, Sesshoumaru allowed it.

The only times Sesshoumaru felt truly alone, was when he retired to his chamber for the evening. Often he would lay awake at night considering the promise he'd made to his father, the conflicted feelings he was beginning to have for the boy and his now irresolute will to follow through on those obstinate words he had spoken in anger.

More than anything, it was Inuyasha's unfaltering courage and his willingness to stand up for himself, even against impossible odds that earned a begrudging level of respect from the elder inu. He began to consider the fact that the circumstances under which he was born were completely beyond the hanyou's control and that it was very likely unfair that he, Sesshoumaru should visit upon his sibling the wrath he could not impose upon his father, the one who truly deserved the blame.

Eventually, the daiyoukai came to a crossroads within himself. No longer willing to allow his mind to be muddled with indecision, he concluded that it was time to decide the hanyou's fate one way or another. Would he go through with the promise he had made to his father, or would he renege and raise the pup as his heir until such time as he took a mate and produced his first son?

It was a question he mulled over for a matter of days, yet before he could come to a decision, Inuyasha went missing.

Sesshoumaru all but turned the castle upside down in search of the boy and when his efforts did not produce the child he called an audience, commanding that every servant, vassal and sentry attend. In a manner which had spoke clearly of his displeasure, Sesshoumaru demanded any information as to his siblings whereabouts.

Initially there was only silence, but when the heated waves of his raging youki billowed from his person to surround every creature in attendance, an old female, a dragon youkai he remembered from his childhood moved forward. She immediately fell to her knees bowing so deeply her forehead was pressed to the ground at his feet.

"It was Ryoto!" she cried almost desperately, "He let it slip that you intended to kill the boy! I… I believe that he must have run away!"

Ryoto, the sentry of whom she spoke did not deny her words and instead appeared to completely speechless, his eyes rounded with fear.

As it turned out, Ryoto's loose lips would change more fates than just his own. For his error, the sentry lost his life and most of the other residents of the castle lost their home.

In his anger, Sesshoumaru sent his father's vassals, sentries and servants away informing them that they would no longer reside inside the castle. Only a faithful few servants would remain to keep up the daily maintenance of his home. The most loyal of his sentries departed with heavy hearts, yet they left him with the promise that they would continue to patrol his boarders, extinguish any threats and readily return to his side if called upon.

The young daiyoukai gave his disinterested agreement before setting off to find the boy.

For his part, Inuyasha had been overwhelmed with emotion when he discovered his brother's plan. He couldn't decide whether he was heartbroken or enraged over his siblings betrayal, so he decided he would be neither. He would attempt to shield himself, at least on this matter, with the same armor of ice in which his brother always seemed to encase himself.

He would leave the only place he had ever called home and never return.

It had been foolish of him to think that anyone could actually care for a half-breed like him; careless to believe himself accepted to the only family he knew. No one accepted hanyou; not humans, not youkai, and not even his own brother.

If the bastard wanted to kill him, he'd have to find him first. Hopefully by the time he did, Inuyasha would be ready for him. Years ago, he had heard of a jewel that could increase the power of youkai and even change a hanyou into a full demon…

now it was time to find it.

* * *

Separation, it seems, has a way of changing one's stand on things…

When Inuyasha had been habitually in his company, Sesshoumaru began to experience difficulty in maintaining his resolve to end the whelp's life. Though he never acknowledged it openly, something deep inside of him knew that as he set out to look for the child, he was not looking for him for the purpose of keeping his promise to his father.

He was hoping to retrieve his heir.

But as the time and space unfurled and sprawled out between the brothers, Sesshoumaru began to find it progressively less difficult to harden his heart against the younger inu. He began to resent the fact that the boy had taken Ryoto's word so easily and had not come to him to discover the truth for himself. The respect he had come to hold for the pup's relentless courage became tarnished as he came to view his decision to run away and act of cowardice.

In reality, the daiyoukai had simply been worried, concerned for the welfare of his sibling; his heir, but such a thing was difficult to admit, even to himself and so Sesshoumaru found more hardhearted and scornful expressions to interpret his feelings of negativity concerning his brother.

Against all odds, Inuyasha managed to elude him for many cycles of the moon and by the time he set eyes on him again, the pup had been sealed to a tree.

When he had heard the tales of a silver-haired hanyou who lost his heart to a mortal woman and was pinned to a tree with a sacred arrow, he was reluctant to believe that it could be his brother. To his great displeasure however, his assumptions had been incorrect. Determined to set the rumors straight, if only in his own mind, Sesshoumaru had deciphered what he could from the various tales and narrowed down the probable places the hanyou could be.

Finally, he located a stretch of forest that bore his brother's name where he located the boy's unconscious body staked to an ancient tree.

Seeing the pup's lifeless body posted there for all to see had awakened something in Sesshoumaru he thought buried along with the remains of his former lord. He recalled all of the gripping emotions that had come with his father's betrayal of his mother, his willingness to let her go in exchange for a mortal, his selfishness in throwing his life away to save that same human female, even with the knowledge that she would only die in a few decades anyway.

Now his brother, the last living creature who shared his blood had done the exact same thing! The boy had abandoned him, run off without regard to the one he would leave behind and allowed his heart, along with his body, to fall because of a mortal.

What spell was it that these creatures were casting upon those of his line? Why was he the only one to be immune? Foolishly, he had believed his brother better than to lower himself in such a way, but just like his father before him, the great daiyoukai he had never even met, the boy had fallen prey to a mortal female and essentially lost his life for it.

In that moment, Sesshoumaru hated Inuyasha more than he ever had. He hated him for exhibiting such weakness for all to see, he hated him for not trusting him and running away, he hated him for allowing the mortal wench to shed his noble blood, but most of all, he hated him because Inuyasha had robbed him of his heir.

Besides, it was easy to hate. He'd had a lot of practice after all.

It was easier to hate Inuyasha than it was to attempt to understand the circumstances that had led him to this place. Things could have been so different, there was still so much to teach, so much more the boy could have learned, but now such things could never be.

He stared down on his brother and allowed the seeds of hatred to take root deep within his heart. He quashed the dwindling remnants of familial bonds reminding himself again and again that every person he had deemed family had abandoned him in one way or another.

He could have killed the whelp then and there.

It would have been a simple task.

Sesshoumaru knew that the boy was not dead. He realized that Inuyasha had simply fallen into a sleep from which he could not wake and it would have hardly required any effort to extend a claw, slash his throat and watch the life fade from his body.

But he would not do it.

There was no honor in killing someone who was unable to defend himself and so the young daiyoukai instead turned away. He left his brother and the forest behind and returned to his home in the west… alone.

* * *

It was a little over fifty years later when he found out that the hanyou was no longer staked to the tree. When he finally saw him again, the young inu was like a completely different person. It was as if he had forgotten the time they'd spent together, erased the teachings of his elder sibling from his mind and remade himself into a person Sesshoumaru scarcely recognized. He did not think the time they had spent apart would have affected the boy so but apparently he had been mistaken once again.

To make matters even worse, he quickly discovered that the boy was in the company of a human female yet again. A part of the daiyoukai was greatly disappointed to discover that particular bit of information. Apparently Inuyasha was more dense than he would have liked to believe and had not learned his lesson.

Hardening his resolve once more, Sesshoumaru decided that it was of no consequence. Now that the boy was no longer sealed, his aspirations to kill him and blot the spot of his existence from his family was again in play.

Still it was not something that would be done in haste.

There was no way the hanyou would accept training from him now, so the daiyoukai would have to find another way.

Sesshoumaru was not as ill-informed as he led others to believe. He knew of the swords forged by his father and he knew that the Tetsuaiga was meant to belong to the younger inu. Though he did not realize until later the function of his own sword Tensega, he knew that Tetsuaiga was the fang of great power and destruction. If left to his own devices, Inuyasha would never have discovered the sword and so Sesshoumaru, under the guise of retrieving the blade for himself, orchestrated the events that lead to the hanyou's claiming of the weapon.

Once the whelp had taken possession of the fang, Sesshoumaru put him to the test. He had not anticipated that the boy would sever his arm, but really, he could never fault him for it. It had been a rare miscalculation on his part, a moment of carelessness which had allowed it to occur. And even though he could never admit it to any living soul, a part of him held a strange sort of pride that the boy had been able to accomplish such a feat.

This preliminary examination would be followed by many more. He would test Inuyasha again and again at times of his choosing to see how his skills have improved and whether or not the pup was ready for their final fight.

Though he often managed to injured the hanyou, sometimes severely, Sesshoumaru never unleashed his full power on the boy. For reasons he dared not name, the daiyoukai often held back, even to the point of taking on grievous injury to himself.

In his own way, Sesshoumaru watched as the young inu mastered one technique after another. On the occasions that he did not test his brother directly, he watched as Inuyasha engaged in battle with others; sometimes in plain sight, and other times hidden.

Still the boy was not yet ready, and in keeping with his original promise, Sesshoumaru would not slay him until he was.

* * *

Naraku was dead, and Inuyasha had mastered Tetsuaiga's final technique nearly two years ago… there was no need to put this off any longer the daiyoukai reminded himself.

His young charge, the little girl he had allowed to follow him for so long now resided among her own kind in a human settlement just inside the boarders of his territory, so even she could not be used as an excuse. Not that the child was able to influence his decisions, but he held no particular desire to frighten her with his impending actions.

Sesshoumaru was on the cusp of expanding the boundaries of his territory and forcing the lords of the other regions to recognize that he was truly a force to be reckoned with. He would soon take a mate and sire an heir, but before he could do so, the stain that blotted his family's honor needed to be erased.

It was time to fulfill his promise. He would challenge Inuyasha to this final duel and this time he would not hold back. If the boy managed to hold his own against him, Sesshoumaru would consider the honor of his family cleansed through Inuyasha's display of fortitude and any blood he managed to spill. He would then reclaim the boy as his heir and together they would return to the west.

If not, Sesshoumaru would not spare Inuyasha, not this time; this time… he would kill him.

Though he was solid in his decision, if not the outcome, the daiyoukai could not help but notice the heaviness in his heart and the weighted pace of his stride as he made his way to the small village the hanyou frequented. He would not turn back from the course he had chosen. He would not break the final promise he had made to his father unless there was just cause to do so. He needed to get this over with, he had put it off long enough.

The inu lord crested a small hill and as he cleared the forest and broached the borders of the village, he was forced to ignore the fowl smells of the many humans who resided there and press ever forward. When at last he came to the small hut in which the old miko resided, he saw Inuyasha perched upon its roof.

The strange little priestess, the one that had always been by his side was nowhere to be seen, but the huntress now heavily pregnant and the no longer cursed monk were nearby and stared at him openly, clearly wondering why he was here and what he planned to do. As for Inuyasha, the hanyou immediately stiffened when his eyes locked with those of his brother. They stared at one another for a long tense moment before Sesshoumaru finally murmured the words that would decide the hanyou's fate.

"It is time."


	4. The Tainted Cleansing

Absolution's Pursuit

The Tainted Cleansing

* * *

"It is time."

His previously relaxed posture becoming uncomfortably rigid, the hanyou gave his brother a long, penetrating look.

"Humph," he finally grunted, the tension in his body melting away. A small, sardonic smile tilted the edge of his lips as he turned away from the elder inu to stare blankly into the sky. "So you still intend to make good on that promise, eh?" he asked rhetorically, his voice abnormally subdued.

'_Not that it matters; not anymore,' _the hanyou thought morosely.

'_She's gone. The well… it took her away from me. It separated us again.'_

"You are wasting time." the daiyoukai pointed out evenly.

"Yeah, yeah." Inuyasha intoned offhandedly. He lifted himself from his lounging position and in a single bound launched himself from the roof.

"Inuyasha?" Sango asked cautiously, her hand reaching out for the half-demon even though he was not within her reach. From their current interaction she could only guess that Sesshoumaru's appearance here was not entirely surprising to the hanyou, but since the pair of them had never truly gotten along, she dared to wonder why the inu lord had sought him out.

"Let's get this over with." Inuyasha said ignoring the slayer's concern, his gaze fixed on his brother.

The daiyoukai stared at him for another long moment before he spun on his heel. Not here. Come with me." he murmured quietly, knowing the hanyou would hear him. Though Sesshoumaru did not hold humans in high regard, he did not find it necessary to destroy this village. He knew of a spacious but secluded valley which was more suitable for their purposes.

'_Or perhaps,' _something prodded from the back of his mind, _'You are simply reluctant to proceed?'_ He had never shown any particular concern for such a thing before now.

Dismissing the thought with mild annoyance, the demon lord continued to move forward. There was no reason for him to doubt his decision. He was not wary of losing this battle nor was he concerned over the hanyou's fate. Inuyasha would either hold his own against him, or he would fall to his greater strength and the promise he had made to their father would be fulfilled. Why should he be reluctant to do something as simple as keep his word? Why should he falter in removing the stain of his father's treachery? The hanyou knew what awaited him and had even shown enough honor and valor to come with him without question. There was nothing to stay his hand.

"Inuyasha!" the monk called out.

The younger inu paused and turned to his friends, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Wh-what's going on?" the daiyoukai heard him ask, his own steps never pausing.

A small smirk formed on Inuyasha's lips, though it was in complete contrast to the resigned, faintly haunting look in his eyes. "Don't worry," he told them.

"I'll be back before dinner."

For reasons he could not begin to identify, the monk found himself at odds on whether or not to take his words at face value. He suspected that his friend and long-time traveling companion would not explain what was happening and he could only hope that he would keep his word and return soon.

The comforting arms of his wife soon wound themselves around him, prompting him to look down at her. Her brow was creased with concern and he couldn't help but to try and sooth her. He returned her embrace, holding her securely while also being mindful of her protruding belly.

"What was that all about?" Sango asked softly.

"I… don't know." the monk returned quietly.

"Do you think we should follow them?"

"You'd better not!" the hanyou barked out, his back to them now.

Feeling slightly uneasy but deciding to trust Inuyasha's judgment, Sango reluctantly held her place at her husband's side.

Turning to her, the monk forced a convincing smile while internally, he was attempting to escape the unsettling sense of foreboding that had wrapped long, spiny threads of apprehension around him. A part of him suggested that it might not have been such a bad idea to follow them, but with Sango's condition, it would not be prudent to do so. After everything he had gone through, Miroku knew he could not risk the safety of his family, not now that he finally had one. Besides, Inuyasha was capable of looking after himself and if they went after him, they'd be more a liability than an aid. "Come on," the monk spoke up at last. "We should finish our chores now. Inuyasha said he would be back by dinner and you know how cranky he'll get if it's late."

When they turned back both Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru were already gone. Giving him a final squeeze, Sango released him before turning away to retrieve the basket of laundry she had been preparing to wash before the inu lord's arrival.

For his part, Miroku continued to stare at the spot from which they had vanished.

* * *

After nearly an hour of silent travel, the hanyou found his mind wandering for what seemed like the thousandth time. It was strange; even though he knew he was about to engage in a battle that could very potentially mean his death, he could not be bothered to give it any real consideration. No, his current train of thought circled only one person. His eyes glazing over, he allowed his mind to conjure the image of her smile.

Inuyasha could never describe the pain he felt at her absence, yet as unbearable as it was, he held onto the feeling because in an odd way, it kept him connected to her.

Instinctively reaching up, the young inu ran the clawed tips of his fingers over the smooth beads that made up his rosary and a quiet sigh escaped him. His hand then dropped to his side, his eyes regaining focus as he continued to trudge behind the elder inu.

"So," the young inu finally spoke up, a note of casualty to his voice, "any reason we need to do this right now? I was…" he trailed off, his gaze averting to some unknown point in the distance.

'_I was hoping to check the well again.' _he finished silently.

Sesshoumaru paused but did not turn to look at him. They had arrived at a stretch of land that was flanked on one side by a wall of high cliffs and on the other, a small abandoned village. In the distance, the earth was cut through by a dwindling stream while a light peppering of trees, most of which were dead added to the area's desolate appearance. Even though it was early summer this place continued to hold a strange sort of darkness which was completely out of place for the season and time of day.

Years ago, the nearby village had been slaughtered by a hoard of rogue demons and since that time, the area remained unpopulated. Still, one would think that the land would have rejuvenated with the passage of time. That did not seem to be the case for this place however.

With a mental shake, Sesshoumaru concluded that these things were of no importance and instead turned his attention back to the matter at hand. He blinked slowly before glancing at Inuyasha over his shoulder.

"You were what?" he asked unconcernedly.

"Nothing." the hanyou answered quickly, his eyes flashing with some unnamed emotion.

'_It's been two years since I've seen her; two years of trying to get back to her through the well. Why should today be any different?' _

"Then you are prepared to commence?" the elder inu asked, completely unaware of his sibling's inner musings.

Inuyasha looked up at him then. "Humph," he snorted dryly, "Does it really matter?"

The daiyoukai stood as still as a statue, his gaze having returned to some indistinct point on the horizon.

"No." he finally said, and without a single word of warning, he turned on the boy, his claws creating a horizontal arc as they made a slash at Inuyasha's throat.

Predictably, Inuyasha was ready for him and with a backward summersault he easily escaped the attack. He landed several yards away, his legs folded beneath him in a low crouch while a clawed hand braced him against the ground.

"Humph!" the half-demon snorted, "You'll have to do better than that he said with a slight sneer, his fingers tightening around the hilt of his sword.

"Indeed." the daiyoukai remarked dryly.

Heedless of the unnatural silence that had settled between them, the brothers streaked toward one another. Their blades met with a deafening clash and the resulting burst of demonic energies forced them apart. Skidding to a stop several yards away, Inuyasha dug in his heels before propelling himself forward again.

Sesshoumaru was doing much the same, but instead of darting straight forward this time, he pivoted at the last moment, his blade slashing through the hanyou's side as he failed to avoid the attack.

A his of pain sounded behind him, and he turned to see that the whelp had leapt away instead of issuing a retaliating blow, even though Inuyasha had been in the perfect position to deliver one. Frowning, the daiyoukai pivoted again, his heels tearing up patches of dead grass as he skidded to a halt.

Inuyasha was glaring at him, a hand fisted in his now torn and bloodied robes. A wave of displeasure washed over Sesshoumaru and a low growl tore from his throat. What was the meaning of this? Inuyasha had become an accomplished warrior over the years and should have avoided his blade with ease. Not only that, but instinct alone should have prompted him to execute a counter attack when such an open opportunity was presented.

Returning the boy's intense glare, the daiyoukai searched his brother's countenance for answers to his unspoken questions. A preliminary assessment showed nothing worthy of note, but a closer examination of the pup's eyes revealed the answers Sesshoumaru sought. There was a dullness there, something he had never seen before and it took a moment for the elder youkai to realize the exact implications of this seemingly insignificant feature he might otherwise have missed.

The fiery spark of determination, the unwavering flames of tenacity that had always shone so brightly in the hanyou's eyes had dimmed, almost to the point of non-existence. The realization of what he was seeing only fanned the flames of his fury and the demon's eyes narrowed into tight slits as he continued to glare at him. What had brought this change about? What had happened in the two short years since they had defeated Naraku to bring the hanyou to this obvious state of resignation?! Whatever it was, this was unacceptable! He, Sesshoumaru would not allow the whelp to continue this way!

"Fool!" Sesshoumaru barked in an rare display of blazing fury. "Do you not realize what this battle means for you?! To founder now will mean your death. I highly recommend that you keep that in mind, Inuyasha."

"What do you care?!" the boy roared back automatically. Then his eyes lowered to survey the shallow wound across his side, his fingers flexing spasmodically as blood seeped between them. "What does anyone care?" he added in a quieter tone.

Another low growl ground from Sesshoumaru's throat, his unarmed hand clenching into a tight fist at his side. This defeated attitude the pup was exuding was not acceptable! Such a thing would only ensure his demise and even though that was his objective all along, the daiyoukai immediately determined that he would not allow it to end this way. He would revive the boy's fortitude at any cost; even if he had to take Tetsuaiga from him and drive him to the brink of blood-crazed insanity!

Streaking forward again, Sesshoumaru was not fully prepared for the counterattack aimed at him in the form of showering blades of blood. A quick maneuver allowed him to escape unscathed, but an odd sense of pride sparked in him at the realization of what the hanyou had done. Apparently, his anger was evident to the boy and he had taken advantage of his momentary lapse of concentration. Still this was not good enough as the spark he wished to see in the boy was still notably lacking. His youkai heart hardening in determination, Sesshoumaru resolved that he would not end this battle until it returned!

The inu lord surged into the sky only to return to the earth in a blur of speed and power. His blade met with little more than air as the hanyou narrowly avoided its razor sharp edge.

For some time the battle continued on this way; an exchange of blows landed, countered or avoided as each inu strived to gain the upper hand. It was apparent that the hanyou's strength, speed and overall skill had improved dramatically over the years, yet the drive he had come to expect of him remained visibly lacking. In spite of his apparent speed, there was a certain weight to his movements together with a notable lack of planning of his attacks that remained blatant to the daiyoukai in spite of the fact that the boy had managed to injure him a handful of times.

Perhaps… perhaps his own concentration was lacking as his attention was so thoroughly fixed on the hanyou's every move. Whatever the case, Sesshoumaru decided that on this day, if no other, Inuyasha _would _display his full potential. He would not allow him to falter, not now when so much depended on this last battle between them. Just as the daiyoukai began to question the prudence of relieving the boy of his sword in order to bring forth the full extent of his demonic power, the hanyou was upon him.

'_Too fast…' _Sesshoumaru realized with mild surprise. His heels dug into the earth as he pushed away. _'Still too close!' _The hanyou advanced again, Tetsuaiga reversing its direction and drawing ever closer.

'_Stop the blade!' _Sesshoumaru's mind supplied logically. Yes, he needed to stop the blade! NOW!

Bakusaiga was clenched tightly in his fist and almost of its own accord, the blade tore through the air in a horizontal arc. The move was executed precisely, but something about it felt slightly off. Pushing the notion aside for later scrutiny, the daiyoukai indulged in a moment of satisfaction as the clash of metal against metal met his ears. He watched as the Tetsuaiga was torn from the hanyou's grip, the blade returning to its inert state as it whipped away from them before plunging into the ground several yards away.

The feeling of triumph was fleeting indeed and evaporated entirely when his eyes again returned to the boy. Instantly, Sesshoumaru's eyes widened in what could only be described as disbelief tinged with fascinated horror. Of all the injuries he could have inflicted, any one of them would have healed in a matter of hours or at most a few days. But there is one thing that even a youkai can not live without for more than a few moments.

Air…

The world slowed to an agonizing crawl and even the sound of his own thundering heart was no longer audible, or perhaps it had stopped beating all together.

'_How…?' _he wondered numbly. Had the path of his sword altered at the last moment, or perhaps the boy had moved more swiftly than he had anticipated? There was no way to know, it had happened far too quickly.

Over the centuries, Sesshoumaru had engaged in many battles and had faced many foes, yet nothing, _nothing_ could have prepared him for this. Frozen in place, the demon lord could do little more than stare, his eyes fixed on the spray of blood as it erupted from Inuyasha's throat.

It was a fatal injury…

He watched, an unpleasant chill surging through his veins as the hanyou fell back, his body slowly crumpling to the ground. Shakily, slowly, his clawed hand reached up, his eyes rolling back into his head as his body's need for oxygen was left unfulfilled.

He shuddered; violently, and Sesshoumaru felt it in his own bones, his own treacherous body refusing to heed his mental command to remain impassive. He expected the pup to reach for his throat in the instinctual impulse to assess the injury. Instead, his fingers paused at the rosary.

He shuddered again, a gurgling sound escaping him as blood seeped through slightly parted lips. His fingers wrapped around the beaded chain and tightened visibly as his body stiffened in agony.

His eyes opened, just a little bit and Sesshoumaru moved to stand directly over him. A rush of air escaped through the tear in his throat causing an additional spray of blood to flow forward, some of which splattered across Inuyasha's face.

Their eyes met and in spite of the fact that it was he, Sesshoumaru who had so grievously injured him, there seemed to be no signs of resentment in the boy's eyes. His lips began to move as if he was trying to tell him something, but no sound was brought forth. Sesshoumaru's brow creased in confusion but before he could question what it was the hanyou was trying to say, the tension melted from his body and the light, what little there was left completely faded from his eyes.

Inuyasha was… gone.

The deed was done; the promise fulfilled…

And yet… it wasn't… right.

The crease in his brow only deepened as Sesshoumaru attempted to order his thoughts. This was what he had wanted, was it not? Yet as he stared down on the defeated form of his only sibling, he could not help but feel that it was not supposed to end this way.

His frown became thunderous, his hand clenching tightly at his side. Tremors of unbridled fury shook Sesshoumaru's form, his lips thinning to a fine line as he fought the urge to transform. Something deep; instinctual inside of him was urging him to take his true form and shake the world with howls of his discontent.

The only question, was why?

Why was he suddenly overcome with such dissatisfaction that he wanted to destroy the world around him? Why was he so displeased to look down upon the bloodied, fallen form of the hanyou, the stain that had so thoroughly marred his family's honor for the past one hundred years? He had wanted this, yet now that his objective was achieved he was overwhelmed with nothing but blinding rage.

"It was not your best effort Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru whispered darkly. He had seen the hanyou fight more fiercely than he had done here today. The whelp knew what was at stake, yet he did not fight to his full potential.

"Why?!" the daiyoukai demanded forcefully.

Several seconds drifted by and only the self discipline that he had cultivated over so many centuries helped Sesshoumaru bring himself to order. A heavy rush of air escaped him as the demon's soul settled in resolution. It would NOT end this way. Inuyasha would not taint his victory with the less than sufficient effort he had put forth on this day.

His fingers tightened around the hilt of Tensega and the sword was ripped, almost violently from its sheath. The daiyoukai blinked slowly, his eyes still fixed on his sibling. The seconds ticked by as Sesshoumaru waited for the sword's mystical powers to surge forth.

But they never did…

His eyes narrowing, he strained to see the pallbearers of the afterlife, yet their appearance was never revealed to him. His eyes widening in disbelief, Sesshoumaru held the sword before him silently demanding its support. Instead of pulsing to life as he wished, Tensega remained silent, its power having drifted from his reach.

Illogically, the youkai lord swung the blade anyway attempting to slay the creatures he could not see. Unfortunately, his efforts proved fruitless as Inuyasha's form remained completely unchanged. A second and third attempt yielded the same results and in his frustration, Sesshoumaru cast the sword to the ground and attempted to blink the swirls of red from his eyes.

What was the meaning of this?!


	5. A Startling Revelation

Absolution's Pursuit

A Startling Revelation

* * *

Tensega had failed him and nothing the daiyoukai did could help him to understand why. The passage of time lost all meaning as his golden eyes shifted between the broken form of his brother and the blade that refused to save him.

At one point, he had concentrated his youki into the blade with all the strength he could muster, and even then the sword did little more than pulse weakly before falling silent once again. The momentary flash of power served to frustrate him more than it would have had the sword remained unresponsive. The desire to smash the heirloom weapon to pieces was almost overwhelming but Sesshoumaru reined in the urge and instead contemplated his next move.

His mind clouded over in a dull haze as the reality of the situation jolted through him like a bolt of lightening. Inuyasha was dead, by his own hand and yet he was not pleased. He had expected a better fight from the boy.

He had expected…

His brow furrowing, the inu lord allowed his thoughts to trail off. Perhaps… he had not truly expected Inuyasha to fall at all? A part of him had known, just _known_ that the hanyou would hold his own and earn the position of Sesshoumaru's heir and second in command in the western province. Is that what he had been hoping for all along?

His gaze shifting to the now setting sun, Sesshoumaru realized that this was probably the case, if the anger that even now still boiled his blood was anything to go by. What else could explain this level of discontentment at the accomplishment of one's long awaited goal?

Drawing in a deep breath, Sesshoumaru turned back to the corpse of his sibling. Almost unaware of his own actions, he kneeled at the boy's side and lifted his limp form into his arms. Unconcerned of the blood that was transferred onto his pristine attire, the demon moved toward the small stream. When he was near the water he kneeled, placing the pup on the ground before him.

Numbly, and with a gentleness that was completely unfamiliar to him, Sesshoumaru cleansed the blood from Inuyasha's body as best he could. Inspecting the fatal wound with a critical eye, the demon lord then raised a clawed finger above it. Leaking a small amount of diluted poison, he carefully sealed the wound before removing the last traces of blood from the boy's person.

When he was finished, he stood again, bringing Inuyasha's body along with him and took to the skies. It was some time later when he made it back to his home in the west and the sun was slowly sinking into the horizon behind him. He made his way to the garden before selecting an area near his father's grave where he chose to excavate. Afterwards, he buried Inuyasha near his father, covering him over with the cool, damp soil where he would remain until the end of time.

The task was completed…

His eyes holding an odd sort of glow, the daiyoukai stared down at the grave. His clothes were stained with blood and dirt and soil was packed beneath his claws, but at the moment, Sesshoumaru couldn't bring himself to care. His heart wished for the contentment that came with the completion of a task or at the very least, the impassiveness with which he dealt with everything else, yet he could not free himself from the fierce, burning rage that thrummed through his veins. His breathing was swift and slightly erratic, but the daiyoukai knew that it had nothing to do with the exertion of digging the grave.

He felt… cheated, though if it was because of the ease of which the hanyou fell, the Tensega's unwillingness to work for him, or the loss of his only sibling, he could not say.

It was strange. He should celebrate the death of Inuyasha, the one who's very existence dishonored him, but apparently, somewhere along the line he had developed an attachment to the boy without even realizing it. Something deep inside of him, the part that was still bound to the call of instinct, had never wanted this! Hanyou that he was, Inuyasha was… had been family. As his alpha, Sesshoumaru should have taken him in… protected him, not ended his life.

Growling softly, the demon lord closed his eyes tightly, his brows furrowing at the tumultuous emotions that swirled through him.

His father was dead, his brother was dead, and he could do nothing to return either of them to the land of the living. Slowly, his eyes opened and he angled his head so that he was looking into the darkening sky.

He did not know how long he stared at the stars before he finally, finally realized what he was doing.

He was… mourning.

His brow furrowing at the realization, Sesshoumaru bared his fangs for the briefest of moments before he allowed the icy hardness to reclaim his heart. His features relaxed visibly and with unyielding resolve, he forced his emotions down, sealing them away; burying them just as he had buried his brother and his father before him.

'_This Sesshoumaru will not succumb to such weakness!' _he thought fiercely, his lips thinning to a fine line. It was his father's actions that lead to this end! He had warned him that he would kill the boy so if he had truly wished to save his son from such a fate he would have stayed behind to protect him!

"The blame…" the inu lord whispered quietly, "lies with you, Father."

And with that, Sesshoumaru turned on his heels intent on leaving the garden, never to return again. However, he would not take a single retreating step as his path was already blocked. His eyes widened with incredulity, his breath abandoning his lungs in a quiet rush, for there, standing just before him was DaiGin, the former Inu no Taisho.

Staring down on him, the general wore a thunderous scowl, his eyes narrowed dangerously as the pointed tips of his fangs peeked from between slightly parted lips.

"Impossible…" Sesshoumaru murmured breathlessly, his normally impassive face clearly displaying his astonishment.

The single utterance had barely escaped him before DaiGin's already translucent form suddenly blurred at the edges and the ground was swept from beneath Sesshoumaru's feet. The world around him instantly became hazy; distorted as powerful winds swept his long, heavy cloak of hair over his shoulders to wave like a banner beside him. The daiyoukai did not understand what had happened until his back came into sharp, bone jarring contact with an enormous tree, the ancient elm creaking loudly as splinters and large chunks of bark were dislodged from its surface.

His neck held in the immovable grip of his father's claws, the daiyoukai could do little more than attempt to catch his breath as he stared down at his long deceased sire.

"You…" the general breathed darkly, his voice low and edged with fiery rage. "You killed my pup!"

Though his features displayed nothing more than mild surprise, Sesshoumaru could feel a note of panic coursing down his spine. His father was supposed to have departed this world years ago, so how was it possible that he was here, pinning him against a tree and looking more furious and deadly than anything he'd ever seen? For a time his mind raced, scrambling to make sense of what he was seeing and the situation he suddenly found himself in.

When at last he calm enough to do so, the inu lord asked, "How… how did you return to this world?"

DaiGin did not deign to answer, opting instead to tighten his grip. The tips of his claws bit into the whelp's flesh freeing tiny rivulets of blood that poured down his neck to the white silk of his clothing. Sesshoumaru's features contorted mildly as the pain became more than he could contain. He could feel his heart racing in his chest as his hands instinctively clamped around his father's wrist in hopes of loosening his grip.

His eyes glowing an eerie red, DaiGin glared up at his wayward progeny, watching impassively as the boy's face colored due to his inability to take in adequate oxygen. He unleashed a feral snarl before his grip tightened and he threw the insolent whelp to the ground with enough force to carve out a shallow groove in the earth as Sesshoumaru skidded to a stop several yards away.

With measured, unhurried steps the general made his way to the pup's side. He stopped when he was standing over him, noting how the boy stared up at him resentfully, his hand held against the abused skin of his neck.

"I had hoped," DaiGin spoke up, his voice deceptively soft. "That I would have been able to return to this place in time to prevent you from carrying out this foolishness." His dark brows drew down, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides as the distance between them grew smaller and smaller. "I had hoped," he all but roared. "That you would not truly be so stubborn and heartless as to murder your only sibling!!"

Guardedly rising to his feet, Sesshoumaru watched his father unwaveringly, his sharp eyes watching for any move that would give away the general's next action. From experience, he knew that striking out against his father would only turn out badly and while some sense of self preservation suggested that he flee, he knew that this too would be in vain. Besides, he refused to shrink away in fear, even from the great and terrible Inu no Taisho.

Swallowing dryly, Sesshoumaru adopted a neutral expression before saying, "I did nothing more than keep my word. If you had truly wished to prevent my actions, you would not have cast your life away for the sake of a mere human."

"Insolent whelp!" the elder inu ground out. "Do not speak of that which you do not understand!"

Following his words, there was a long, tense moment of silence in which each male stared at the other. Though he was outraged beyond belief at the pup's actions, something was tugging at the edge of his senses, calling for him to pay closer attention. It took him a few moments to recognize the sensation as… regret, and he immediately recognized that it could only be coming from one source. The realization was oddly calming. Though his son just stood there with that insufferably bland expression masking his true feelings, DaiGin could sense the remorse rolling off him in waves. That, coupled with the fact that he had returned Inuyasha to the west to give him a proper burial only served to solidify what his senses were already telling him. He knew the boy would never admit it, and he did not understand why he would go through with his actions only to regret them immediately after, but this newly acquired information did much to temper his rage.

There are things he should have shared with Sesshoumaru before his passing. He had not considered it at the time, but now he realized that the boy truly did not understand. Even now, DaiGin could not say whether or not his decisions in life had been the correct ones, but now… right now he had this one and only chance to save his last living son, and even though he probably did not deserve it, DaiGin was unwilling to forgo this single opportunity.

But, in order to truly understand, Sesshoumaru would need to learn of his father's past, his own present, and the future that awaited him if he did not find a way to prevent it. Spinning on his heel, DaiGin turned his back to the younger inu and began to walk away. "Come with me." he announced without turning back, the tone of his voice brooking no argument.

As instructed, Sesshoumaru followed his sire and soon they were near the border of the eastern garden. "Sit." his father instructed, and though he did not enjoy taking orders from anyone, the young daiyoukai did as he was told. DaiGin followed suit, selecting an area across from his pup. He gracefully lowered himself to the soft grass crossing his legs before him and folding his hands in his lap.

He stared at the boy for a long time as he considered where to begin. There was so much to tell…

"Sesshoumaru," he began almost calmly. "You have spent your entire life detesting mortals, even to the point of murdering your own brother because he was born to a human female."

Golden eyes clashed with golden eyes and after a moment, a wry, humorless chuckle escaped the Inu no Taisho's lips. "You detest mortals, and yet you are directly descended from one." he said quietly, though the words were not missed by his son.

"What?!" Sesshoumaru demanded incredulously, his eyes widening visibly. "That… that is not true. I am a full youkai!" he declared vehemently.

DaiGin chuckled again and turned his face away from the boy as he gazed into the now star-speckled sky. "Yes," he admitted softly, "You are a full youkai and no human blood is present in your veins, yet you are still descended from a mortal."

"What are you talking about?" Sesshoumaru asked quietly.

The general turned back to him them. "I am talking about me."

Sesshoumaru frowned in confusion.

"Many, many years ago, I was born…" he trailed off and looked away again.

"I was born a mortal dog."

* * *

I know this chapter is short, but there is lots of information and explanations to come and I want them all to fit into one chapter if possible. I hate writing really long chapters so I cut this one off here. Hope you all enjoyed!

* * *

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And thanks for reading too!


	6. A Riveting Tale

Absolution's Pursuit

A Riveting Tale

* * *

Frozen where he sat across from his estranged sire, Sesshoumaru stared at the elder inu, disbelief evident in the slight widening of his eyes and the faint laxity of his jaw.

"That is…" he began, clearly not wanting to believe his father's words, "That is not possible."

DaiGin looked at him then, his features conveying a rigidity which was threaded through with a thin, shining thread of melancholy. "I assure you it is." he stated rigidly, almost as if daring the pup to refute him further.

* * *

Born to a stray bitch many centuries ago, DaiGin had been one of three pups. Like most dogs whose pact instinct had weakened over the centuries, mostly due to the interference of humans and their selective breeding, DaiGin's father abandoned the mother soon after mating, the animal's intent to sire as many pups as it could while the females were still in season.

Times were difficult, and DaiGin's lone, emaciated parent faced many difficulties in caring for her progeny, losing all to illness or starvation save for one. Shortly after he was weaned, the pup would loose his last remaining family.

One day, late in the cool season before the snow would fall, a human child from one of the villages they had been passing through had dropped some insignificant scrap of food. His stomach cramped and empty, DaiGin immediately ran over to collect it from the ground, gobbling it up without thought as he sought to soothe the pain of hunger. Angered, the child had kicked the pup and his mother immediately came to his defense.

As punishment for nipping the boy's finger in defense of her only remaining pup, DaiGin's mother was beaten by several of the villagers. She just barely managed to escape, grabbing her son by the scruff of his neck and beating as hasty a retreat as her failing body would allow. She managed to find shelter for them in the form of an abandoned, dilapidated old hut before she finally succumbed to her injuries.

He had been so young and did not understand.

When his siblings had died, he had been even younger still; far too young to remember. By the time his mother perished, his memory held recollections of only himself and her. When he awoke the next day, he fully expected to see her golden eyes staring at him as they had done every morning he could recall. Each night she would curl herself around him, share her warmth and when they woke the next day, she would go out and attempt to find food for them. But this morning, she did not share her warmth. Her eyes were closed, her form unnervingly still. There was a thin, dried stream of blood that had run from her nose, down past the seam of her mouth, and had pooled and dried on the dusty old floor. He thought to wake her, but she refused to budge. His desperate cries of fear and uncertainty would go unheeded this day while the tender prodding of his nose would yield no response as he carefully, and unsuccessfully tried to rouse her.

Though his understanding of the world around him was limited, DaiGin understood that something very bad had happened; something that would change his life forever. Still, he did not wish to accept the reality of his changed, and now increasingly dire situation and so he stayed with the remains of his mother for a long time before he finally accepted the fact that she would never wake again. It had been difficult to leave her behind, but the need to nourish his small, frail body had forced him to move on.

Against all odds, he managed to survive the winter, stealing when he dared, begging when he could, and hunting when there was available prey. Though the warmer seasons tended to yield better times, it was still difficult, and because the humans were spreading and clearing forest to build their villages, prey was sometimes difficult to come by.

In some ways, the humans were truly the bane of his existence yet ironically, it was they who, (willingly or otherwise) helped provide his means of survival.

Late in the summer, when he was just reaching the cusp of adulthood, DaiGin had been warily keeping watch on one of the stands in the marketplace. There was dried meat there, and experience told him that a combination of both patience and speed would allow him to ease the cramps in his belly, if only the opportunity would present itself. He knew to keep a certain distance as the humans would attempt to chase him off if he got too close too quickly, and so he stayed back, literally laid low, watched and waited.

He fell into a light doze, drifting just on the edge of dreams before something caught his attention and he woke with a start. Sitting up, his eyes wide and alert, his attention was turned to the stand. A girl was standing there. His eyes focused just in time to see her place a large bundle in her basket. She was laughing, an intriguing, bell-like sound that caused him to tilt his head in mild wonder. She turned away from the merchant to be on her way, but before she took to steps, her eyes landed on him. She paused, eyeing him interestedly before smiling and slowly walking away. Intrigued by her reaction, as most humans seemed to look at him with little more than pity, wariness or disgust, DaiGin followed her. Perhaps she would drop a scrap of food for him.

His experience with humans had not always been pleasant, so the creature remained cautious, following at a distance as the girl presumably made her way home. Occasionally, she would glance over her shoulder causing DaiGin to pause, but would then turn back to her path, seemingly unconcerned of his continued presence.

Eventually, she came to a tiny hut, flipped the straw panel aside and disappeared behind it. Uncertain as to what to do next, the creature seated itself a few yards away, wondering if the girl would return. She did so within a few moments, a smile on her face and her hands hidden behind her back. DaiGin was on the brink of withdrawing when the girl kneeled to the ground and tossed something in his direction. He immediately jumped back, a low growl escaping as he bared his sharp teeth. It was only seconds later when he realized that the girl was not attacking him, but that she had dropped a piece of the dried meat she had procured at the market.

His body low to the ground, he inched forward, his muscles tense and ready to propel him into action if the girl made any sudden movements. She didn't and instead watched him just as he watched her. When he was close enough, DaiGin grabbed the meat and gobbled it down without ceremony. Smiling, the girl made no sound and instead threw a second piece, this one a bit closer to where she kneeled on the ground. The dog remained cautious but finally moved forward when the smell of the delicious food became too much to resist. Again, he grabbed the scrap of meat and swallowed it down quickly, greedily licking his muzzle after the food was gone. He was close enough to smell the girl now and he absently noted that, as far as humans went, her scent was mildly calming.

Moving very slowly, almost as if to keep from startling him, the girl produced a final piece of meat, though this time, she did not let it go. Instead, she extended her hand to him, the meat still clasped between her thin little fingers. His nose twitching, DaiGin carefully inched forward yet again. He snatched the meat away, but instead of retreating, he remained where he was, chewing hungrily before swallowing it all in one big gulp. The girl reached out, and the dog revealed his fangs, growling low in warning. The girl pressed on anyway, the tips of her delicate fingers brushing the top of his head. He quieted and the girl became more bold, stroking the tip of his head with her entire palm before delicately scratching behind his ear.

***

Her name was Misako. She was just sixteen years of age and until she found him, she'd been living all alone. Her father and brother had been conscripted into the army years ago, and just like the dog she'd taken in, Misako had lost her mother prematurely. "She had been very sick." the girl had explained to him, her eyes watery with unshed tears. "It was almost a relief when she died. You can't imagine how hard it is to watch someone suffer like that."

The girl's resources were greatly limited, but somehow she managed to feed them each day. In exchange for his companionship, she shared her meager space and possessions, even giving him an equal share of her food. There was little doubt that Misako improved his life immensely and for that, DaiGin was immensely grateful, so grateful in fact, that he would wear the name she'd given him even into his second life.

The girl began to care for him even from the first day, feeding him and petting him yet still allowing him time and space to get used to her. When she decided that he was comfortable enough to allow it, Misako finally gave him a much needed bath. She scrubbed away layers upon layers of dirt and grim to reveal the shimmering silver coat that had hidden beneath. She'd gasped in awe, her eyes becoming bright with wonder as she ran her fingers through the thick, silvery masses. "Who knew you had such beautiful fur beneath all that dirt?" she asked rhetorically. "It is so lovely!" She'd stared at him for a long time after that and then finally said, "I think… I think I will call you DaiGin. (Great-Silver)*

DaiGin had licked the palm of her hand, and she'd smiled at him.

***

For twelve years, DaiGin stayed together with the human female called Misako, and for much of that time things were good. She fed, bathed, and cared for him regularly, and his imposing size and protective nature kept her safe from any who otherwise would have thought to harm her. During that time, the small village in which they lived was relatively safe and demon attacks never seemed to reach them. But, as the calm precedes the storm, things would not remain as such indefinitely.

One fateful night, a gang of brigands stormed their tiny village. Having heard the commotion nearly as soon as it began, DaiGin immediately went to Misako, carefully licking her cheek and prodding her with his paw in order to wake her. He realized that it might be necessary to flee, and decided that she would be better prepared to do so if she were already awake.

Peeling her eyes open, the young woman asked, too loudly what was going on. DaiGin growled low, a sound she'd come to recognize as a warning, and she immediately stilled, her gaze moving toward the door in response to him doing the same.

"What's happening?" she whispered quietly, and the dog next to her emitted another low growl. At a particularly loud crash and the sound of a woman screaming, Misako started violently, wrapping her arms around the great creatures neck in an effort to feel safe. "They'll find us!" she whispered fiercely. "We should run away."

But DaiGin growled again, his muscles tense while his dark eyes stared unerringly at the straw panel door. Instinct told him that for now it was better to stay as they were. If they ran, they would only draw more attention to themselves.

Unfortunately, movement on their part was not necessary as, with little warning, the straw flap was ripped violently from its place over the door and several men thundered inside. Misako and DaiGin hid together in one of the dark corners, hoping against hope that the men would leave without spotting them. They searched the tiny hut for anything of value, carelessly throwing things aside, unconcerned of the meager possessions they destroyed in their wake. They were about to leave when one of the men spotted something, its light color standing out against the darkness.

"Hey, what is that?!" he asked, drawing the attention of the others. They turned back from the door, their eyes searching the corner.

Hoping to buy Misako some time, DaiGin darted forward, barking loudly as he attempted to run them away. Initially surprised by his presence, the men were no less undeterred by the large but heavily aged dog. As is the way of all things mortal, time had taken its toll on the creature, though his protective nature remained firmly in tact. He lunged at the men, one after another, but they knew he could not get them all at once. They scattered about in the small enclosure, one acting as a decoy while the others stood off to the side and behind him.

Suddenly, one of the burlier men jumped on him, his muscular arm snaking around the dog's neck as he used his weight to press him into the floor. Misako, who had not taken the opportunity to flee, shrieked as one of the men found a tattered old cushion and pressed it forcefully against the dog's face.

"Stop!!" she cried desperately, and for the briefest of moments DaiGin felt the tips of her fingers brush against one of his hind legs.

"Where the hell did she come from?!" one of the men yelled.

"Who cares!" countered another, "Grab her!" he demanded, and a vicious snarl ripped from the dog's throat. He struggled to escape but his aged body was little match against the combined strength of the men.

"You're a pretty little thing." one of the men told Misako, and DaiGin instantly renewed his struggles. Air was becoming more and more difficult to come by, but the dog wanted nothing more than to keep the men away from the woman who had so generously shared her love and her home with him, never once expecting anything in return.

"Please!!" Misako cried and he could hear her voice wavering with emotion. "Please don't hurt my dog! I don't have anything of value, but…" she whimpered and another low growl escaped the dog, though it was weaker now as his body was gradually succumbing to the lack of air. "I'll do whatever you want. Just… just let him go! Please!"

But the men did not. Instead, they pointed out the fact that she was not in a position to negotiate and maintained their position.

Already blinded by the cushion that was still so fixedly held against him, DaiGin felt his body seeping into a darkness that was unlike anything he had ever known. He wanted to fight, wanted to rip and bite and claw and shred the flesh of the men that dared to invade his home and threaten the only creature he loved, but sadly, he could not. The men were still holding him down, depriving him of mobility and air. His strength was beginning to fade.

Like echoes down a long corridor, Misako's voice was beginning to fade. He wanted… so desperately to go to her; to wrap himself around her… to keep her safe.

As the life faded from his great and once powerful body, the last thing he heard were the taunts from the men; their lascivious words, haughty laughter, and the rending of fabric.

…Misako's clothes.

He could hear her voice. She was crying; pleading…

…Not for her own life… but for his.

***

Suddenly it was very warm, and there was the sensation of floating on heated waters. Fathomless darkness was all around this place, together with the haunting sound of nothingness. There was no pain, no movement, no anything. Rest beaconed him… so tired. And then, there were voices; quiet, echoing voices chattering among themselves. What were they saying? It seemed… that they wanted him to come with them. Perhaps he should go.

No, wait. He should stay. There was something… something important that he should be remembering right now. Like a strip of parchment caught in the updraft, the memory floated away from him, always remaining just inches from his grasp.

Then, a feminine voice. Who is that? So… familiar. _'I know her… I think… I think she needs me! I have to help her!'_

'_Misako!'_

'_Where is she?! Must find her! They'll hurt her if I don't!'_

But those voices, they were calling to him again. Their words, even their voices were indistinct, but the promise they made was clear.

Come. Rest. Do not fight anymore.

He felt himself slipping, falling, surrendering to the seductive call of sleep.

'_DaiGin!!'_

He started at that, the need to rest temporarily loosing its hold. '_Misako!! Can't leave her! Can't!'_

But he couldn't move, couldn't get to her. What was happening? Something was pulling him now, draining what little strength he had left. The soft, tempting calls were all but absent now, and the pull against his soul was all consuming. Resisting their efforts was difficult, even painful, but his resolve was a pillar of stone. He couldn't leave her. He just couldn't!

And so, DaiGin dug his metaphorical claws into the earth and resisted the pallbearers of the underworld. They tried to beguile him with the promise of rest, tried to lure him with temptations of happiness and peace. When that failed, the dug their miniscule talons in and pulled for all that they were worth.

The dog refused to go with them and eventually their power faded. This night, they would return to the underworld empty handed.

Misako needed him. He could not let her down, could not leave her behind.

* * *

"My spirit clung to that place, refusing to leave the maiden behind. At the time I had not realized that she was already dead." The general sighed inaudibly, his voice sounding far away.

"Even now, I do not fully understand what happened or how, but I gradually became more and more aware of the world around me. My sight slowly returned, I regained mobility and feeling as my form grew more and more solid."

"Apparently, the transformation took many years. Eventually, I regained my former appearance, though my awareness and understanding of the world was somewhat more acute. By the time that happened, the tiny hut I had shared with Misako was little more than a pile of rotted wood. I found her bones in the rubble."

Sesshoumaru studied his father noting the distant look in his eyes as the memories washed over him. Then, without warning, the great inu looked at him, his expression clear of emotion as he began to speak again.

"I was a spirit that roamed the earth." he said softly. "A living, breathing spirit. Over time, my intelligence increased more and more, and I eventually learned to take on different forms. The one you see before you was the one I preferred most. I kept my silver hair and changed by eyes to gold in honor of my mother. The blue markings," he trailed off, his clawed fingers brushing one of his cheeks. "Were for Misako. It was her favorite color."

He looked at his son, noting his thoughtful expression. It may not have been noticeable to anyone else, but he could see a tinge of confusion there as well.

"There is a reason I shared this with you tonight Sesshoumaru." DaiGin said after a moment. "I had never shared it before, because… honestly I was ashamed. I was ashamed of my humble origins, I was ashamed that I had failed to protect both of the females I had loved. I attempted to leave that life behind and sought power in all its forms. I had the Tetsuaiga and the Tensega forged so that I would possess power over both life and death. I had fully intended to slaughter any who made themselves my enemies, and protect any that I considered my own. Never again did I wish to feel the pain of loosing one I loved, not even to death." His expression became more intense. "Other youkai believed that my affinity for humans was a sign of weakness, but really, it was just a manifestation of humility. How could I, a creature who was born a mortal dog, look down upon the humans?"

The general turned away, the silvery moon bathing his already ethereal form. A soft breeze lifted his silvery tresses and his eyes closed languidly. "Misako changed me in more ways than you can even imagine." he said softly. "When she died… I had never expected to see her again…" the general trailed off, his eyes opening just a little.

Sesshoumaru felt his brows crease ever so slightly. There was something his father was not telling him and he wanted to know what it was. "What do you mean? Are you telling me that you saw her again? After she had died?" he asked, his voice low and slightly wary.

"Yes," DaiGin asked, noting the faint surprise in his son's eyes. "I did see her again. It was many years later, but I would have recognized her anywhere. Her name was different. So were her eyes. But her soul was the same. I think… in a strange way, she recognized me too, even before I told her my name."

Sesshoumaru's frown deepened.

"She had been reincarnated. When I finally found her again… her name was Izayoi."

* * *

*A quick note on DaiGin's name. When I had decided on that name for him a little while back, I had believed that "Dai" meant something akin to great in Japanese. However, the online Japanese dictionary that I checked out recently did not seem to agree. Please note, that even if I got it wrong, which it seems I may have, that was the intended meaning.

Aside from that, I'm not really sure I like how this chapter turned out. Also, if it seems like I went a little off course, don't worry. I'll tie it all back together again. And lastly, Kagome will be written into the story very soon. She should be arriving in the next chapter.

Hope you all enjoyed and please review.


	7. Take Me Back

Absolution's Pursuit

Take Me Back

* * *

"…When I finally found her again… her name was Izayoi."

"Father, why are you…?"

"Because it is something you needed to understand. Perhaps I should have spoken with you regarding my past, our shared past before now, but at the time I did not see the benefit of doing so. I had not wished to bring upon you the shame I felt, not only because of what I truly am but also the circumstances under which my transformation occurred. Now I see that I was wrong. You became far more prideful than I ever imagined! Along with all the other youkai with whom I had aligned myself, you looked down upon the humans because of their mortality; because their inherent strength did not match our own. You, my own son believed I was a fool for taking a human mate; believed I was becoming weak for the care I showed her. But it never, for one moment dawned upon you that it was she that invoked my greatest powers."

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. "And yet you would only die in the end. Perhaps it is true that she helped to strengthen your body, but she did nothing to fortify your mind."

A low growl tore from DaiGin's throat. "I do not regret the sacrifice I made to ensure her safety! She would have done nothing less for me! Everything I achieved after her first demise, my great power, the influence I came to hold, even the Tetsuaiga and the Tensega, none of those things would have been possible if not for her. Do you not see that? My entire existence was nothing more than a manifestation of the great love I held for her." he said at last, his voice becoming softer toward the end.

"Your affection," Sesshoumaru countered, his tone dripping with distaste, "was for the one called Misako, not Izayoi."

"They were one in the same!" his father all but roared. "Perhaps it _was_ foolishness on my part, a misguided attempt to make up for what happened in the past, but when I found her again, I decided at that very moment that her second life would not be so tragic as her first; that I would return one hundred fold the care and affection she showed to me, a lowly mortal dog! I will never regret that!"

A pregnant pause followed his heated words and DaiGin looked away from the boy, opting instead to stare glassily into the distance. Softly, the wind stirred around them, its gentle caress stirring the low grass and bringing with it the light, clean scent of rain.

Finally, DaiGin turned back to his son, noting how he too had taken to staring off into the distance. "I need to be going back soon." the general spoke up softly. Sesshoumaru's eyes focused then and he returned his father's perusal. "I… need to find Inuyasha."

At the mention of his brother's name, a strange sensation, something he could not identify shot through Sesshoumaru's chest; reverberated over his breastbone and finally settled in his belly. He felt an unpleasant ache at the base of his throat. And then, because he felt his father should know the entire story he said, very softly, "The Tensega… it did not work."

DaiGin nodded slowly, obviously unsurprised by the pup's words. "In spite of my best efforts, the Tensega has its failings, just like everything on this plane of existence." he sighed softly. "From the very beginning it seems, that fate had conspired against the boy."

The wind picked up again, stronger this time and the first tiny drops of rain began to fall. Sesshoumaru felt a tiny bead of moisture land on the edge of his lashes. Ridding of it with a quick blink of his eyes, he remained as he was, waiting patiently to see what his father would say next.

"I suspect," the general spoke up after a long pause, "That Inuyasha's will to remain in this world had weakened considerably in the time that preceded his demise. I am not sure what happened, but… I feel that he may have lost something; something of great importance to him. When I find him, I shall certainly question him on the matter. However, even if his will to return to this world had been great, he still would not have been able to do so. There were two, very critical factors that saw to this. The first being that… the Tensega cannot retrieve a life more than once."

Oddly, Sesshoumaru felt his heart skip a beat and his eyes shone with a strange intensity. "What… what do you mean?"

A drop of moisture landed on DaiGin's iridescent cheek, the silvery moonlight making it shine. Slowly, it ran down the side of his face and to Sesshoumaru, it looked like a tear.

"Inuyasha died while his mother was giving birth to him. I used the Tensega to bring him back."

The young inu lord felt as if he had just taken a blow to the stomach. During Inuyasha's entire existence, he had always believed, always known… if something were to happen… he could use Tensega…

"I did not know..." Sesshoumaru confessed in a low whisper.

"No one did. Only Izayoi and myself."

DaiGin's eyes, which had momentarily lost focus lifted again, his golden gaze again locking with that of his last living son. "Your powers are weakening." he said abruptly, quietly. "Have you noticed the change?"

The younger inu was on the brink of refuting his father's words but then instantly reconsidered it. He thought back to his battle with Inuyasha, only then recalling that the hanyou had managed to injure him several times, in spite of his own lackluster performance. In fact, now that he was thinking of it, his injuries had taken slightly longer than normal to heal.

His damp hair hung heavily over his brow concealing the slight furrow that had formed there. "What… is happening to me?"

DaiGin looked away from him then. The rain was becoming slightly more heavy now. Normally, the rhythmic pattering of the light downpour would have been a comforting sound, but in this moment, it sounded almost ominous; like the footfalls of tiny feet. Like the pallbearers of the underworld.

"You are dying." the former Inu no Taisho stated simply.

Unsure what to say to this, Sesshoumaru kept his silence, waiting for his father to explain.

"The gods have grown weary of youkai's existence in this realm and are even now making preparations to be rid of them. Because of my good nature toward humanity as a whole, I had been granted immunity to all forms of purification. The trait was passed to you as well, but the gods have taken notice of your recent activities. The immunity you had gained through my blood began to weaken the moment you released your young charge."

'_Rin…' _

The girl's image, delicate and intangible, solidified before his mind's eye. Her back was to him and a wreath of white flowers adorned her head. Her hands, soft, small and human, were clasped behind her back, and strangely, fleetingly, he found himself wishing that she would turn to him and smile. She didn't though, and soon the image faded, leaving an unpleasant darkness in its place. Why would the gods punish him for releasing her? He had done so primarily because he had believed it to be in her own best interest and had even gone so far as to leave his most loyal vassal at her life-long employ.

"The very air is changing." DaiGin spoke up, regaining the attention of the younger inu. "It is becoming inhospitable to our kind." The general looked back to his son, and for the briefest of moments, his semi-transparent form wavered as if threatening to vanish. Sesshoumaru blinked, ignoring the cool droplets that fell from the edge of his jaw and when he opened his eyes, his father's form appeared stable once again.

"I do not know the specifics of the gods' plans, but I do know that those who are susceptible to purification, will not remain in this world for much longer. Now that you have taken the life of your brother, that includes you. Hanyou that he was, Inuyasha had fought in defense of the humans, the favored among the god's creations and his acts of heroism had not gone unnoticed. When you killed him, you effectively sealed your own fate as well."

He could see the question brimming in Sesshoumaru's eyes and before it could be voiced he told him, "As of this day, you are no longer immune to the powers of purification." he paused for a moment, noting that the rain was beginning to slacken, but the wind was becoming more fierce. "Within the next few lunar cycles, the weaker youkai will begin to die off. Next, those of moderate power will begin to weaken and die. Even the most powerful, including daiyoukai such as yourself, will not be spared. It will take longer for you, but each day, you will grow weaker, your flesh, if injured, will take longer to heal, and finally you will loose your demonic powers. You will not have much time after that."

"Are you saying that I am becoming mortal?" Sesshoumaru asked, his voice sounding far away.

DaiGin seemed to consider this. "Essentially." the general replied after a moment. "But," he spoke up again, "There may be hope for you yet. I came here, not only to warn you, but also because in spite of your disposition, you are my beloved son and I do not desire such a wretched fate for you. Because of what you are, you will only be given this one and only chance at redemption. Only through absolution, can you regain your immunity to purification and thus avoid the impending extinction that awaits our kind."

When his father finished speaking, a light haze fell over the younger inu's eyes as he sank deep into his thoughts. It was unthinkable that such a fait awaited him, but the mere fact that his father had returned to this world to relay the message, gave more than a ring of truth to his words. As powerful as he was, not even he, Sesshoumaru could defy the will of the gods.

This… was not a situation in which he expected to find himself.

A drove of memories, mixed and faintly vexing, sailed through his mind as his lips thinned in a pensive frown. He considered the many humans he had dispatched without a thought. The youkai who had, in his youth looked upon him with pity or disgust because of his father's affiliation with mortals. His mother, whom he had loved but who had left him for fear of invoking his father's wrath. He remembered a hanyou pup and a little girl.

He had always looked down upon humans because they were fragile, weak and mortal. He could not help but marvel at the irony of his current situation. It was bitterly poetic that he was now doomed to the same fate that befell all those he had deemed beneath him.

In his mind, Sesshoumaru could practically see everything of which he was comprised. He could feel his persona twisting in the wind, splitting apart, breaking down into its basic components, each one having its own opinion regarding the matter at hand. The short-sighted, more volatile part of him balked at this entire situation. It argued that he, Sesshoumaru would not become weak and die; that he should proceed with his plans to procure more power and land. Even the gods could not impose their will upon one such as he, it intoned vehemently. The stubborn, more cynical portion of his mind declared that his father was wrong. In all his life he could not recall a time when the gods had deigned to intervene with the occurrences and beings that resided upon the earth. Why would that change now, it questioned doubtfully. Where had his father come across such erroneous information?

And there were a thousand other questions, declarations and wonderings. They flitted through his mind in a haze of whispered voices, haughty commands and doubting questions. He could feel a dull ache pooling at his temples and very briefly, he wondered what it would feel like to die.

Finally, a voice rose above the others; one that could only be his logic and reason. It reminded him that in spite of the decisions he'd made in the past, his father had never been anything less than honest, forthcoming and precise with any information he opted to disclose. It asked if he was willing to dare the potential consequences of disregarding his sire's warning.

Very slowly, Sesshoumaru allowed his eyes to close. The darkness that followed, normally comforting was now faintly ominous and within seconds he would understand why.

In the darkness, he could see himself standing very still. He was all alone and his blank, glassy eyes were focused straight ahead of him. The darkness began to fade, but only to a dull, smoky grey that allowed him to see what lay at his feet. All around him and as far as the eye could see, lay an endless field of corpses. Human and youkai alike, the bodies blanketed the earth, cold and still and dead. Arms and legs were strewn, one over the other, and some were no longer attached to the body from which they'd come. Grey skin and blank eyes stared back at him, and bizarrely, the young daiyoukai found himself faintly horrified that he recognized some of these former beings. Many, no all of the ones that seemed familiar to him, were those he had dispatched himself.

Even now, he could practically smell the blood and decay, darkened with time and ripened with age. It was a pungent odor, one at which he'd never balked before, but one that now clung to his skin; saturated his hair; clogged his lungs; made it difficult to breathe.

An unpleasant chill raced down his spine and Sesshoumaru could see himself waver beneath a great, unseen weight. His eyes, familiar yet foreign began to glaze over in a way he'd never seen before. His heart stuttered in his chest and he could see the color draining from his skin. His lips parted to release a final breath as his eyes finally began to close.

He began to fall…

Sesshoumaru opened his eyes, unwilling to see the inevitable conclusion. He was faintly surprised to see his father still sitting there.

"What is there to consider?" DaiGin finally asked, his eyes dark and penetrating. "It is all very simple. Do you wish to live, or… do you wish to die?"

There was another short pause, and then, "What do I need to do?"

* * *

Tightly clenched eyes shielded their host from the world that lay beyond. Somehow, it seemed foreign now, the angles too sharp, the scents too pungent, the sounds unpleasant and jarring. The very air seemed thick, oppressive and just wrong, wrong, wrong!

'_I wish… I want… please…!'_

"Don't… don't block me out again…" a quiet voice whispered into the cool, damp air. "I need to go back! Why can't you understand that?!"

Softly, the voice echoed back and a stream of moisture trailed down a soft cheek. It had been so long, yet the memories were still so fresh, the need to see them all again so very strong.

'_Why am I here again? What am I expecting to happen?'_

The thoughts were discouraging, yet the hope, what little there was left, remained firm and sure.

Just try it, just this one last time…

A shuddering breath escaped. Yes, one more time. What could it hurt?

And then there was a burst of energy, up and over, followed by the sensation of falling. Momentary disappointment reined supreme, and then the magic caught. There was a gasp and the rapid tempo of her beating heart. Ethereal swirls of blue, soft, welcoming and oh so familiar, wrapped themselves around her, caressing her skin and threading their long cool fingers through her hair.

The trip was longer than she remembered, but she savored every moment and allowed her anticipation to build. When at last the damp earth was beneath her, Kagome collapsed beneath her own weight. Relief, and a small twinge of apprehension washed over her in near blinding waves. She could hear the sound of her own breathing as it echoed off the stone walls.

"Thank you," she whispered to no one in particular and then turned her head to the sky. Her eyes, still shimmering with moisture, landed on the square patch of sky visible beyond the lip of the well. It was bright compared to the darkness that surrounded her, yet the sun was hidden by a thin layer of clouds. The air was crisp and clean, free of the pollutants that were present in her own time. Shaky muscles finally heeded the commands of her brain and the young woman rose to her feet. Slowly, almost reverently, she reached for the familiar vines and began to pull herself from the well.

* * *

Hope you all enjoyed this newest chapter. Thanks so much for reading and please review. ^_^

Oh and I did not do this before so I'll do it now. I would like to offer my sincerest thanks to everyone who's been reading and reviewing this story. I'm glad you are enjoying it and I love reading your comments! Also, a very special thanks to Kagome357, who, of her own volition decided to spread the word about this story!

Love ya Kags!

Oh, and Jeff, I did not realize I was spelling the names of the swords incorrectly, but now I'm too lazy to go back and change them. =3 And ThinkPink, please send me your email address, I would like to answer some of your questions.


	8. A Critical Question

Absolution's Pursuit

A Critical Question

* * *

Attempting to ignore the quaking of her muscles as she clung to one vine, then another in a steady pattern of ascent, Kagome made a mental note not to hyperventilate as she made her way to the top of the well. Once there, she flung the top half of her body over the lip, rather heavily, before finally pulling herself completely from the splintered wooden structure.

Crumpling near its base, she looked all around her, her eyes wide, eagerly taking in the surroundings she had missed so sorely over the last two, no… it was three years today, now that she was thinking of it. What did it mean, she wondered absently. What did it mean that after exactly three years to the day of their victory over Naraku that the well would allow her back? It was not as if she had not tried before now, almost to the point of breaking a leg.

How many nights had she lay awake dreaming of the past? How many times had she wished to go back, just one more time? She hadn't even been given the opportunity to say goodbye before the well had greedily swallowed her up, taking her back to the place from which she had come, but not the place her heart called home. She hadn't known it, not at the time. All she knew at the moment was that she was scared and wanted to go home. It seems, that the heart can be rather confused as to where home truly is, but is always certain where it is not. When she emerged in the well house to the happy, open arms of her mother, brother and grandfather, Kagome had been so relieved to see them all again, but she immediately became aware of an empty space, hallow and empty in her breast.

She loved her family, she truly did, but the call to return to the past only grew with the passage of each day. The small, empty space that lived within her heart became more and more noticeable, larger, colder and more difficult to ignore. She didn't try the well right away, but after a few weeks of being in the time of her origin, she chanced it. Hurling her body over the edge, she was mostly unsurprised when the magic did not welcome her back. She had tried not to be upset by it, but had sat there in the bottom of the well for a long time imagining what her friends might be doing.

Some days were harder than others so she tried to keep herself busy. She had returned to school, making up for lost time by taking summer classes and by the skin of her teeth, she managed to graduate with her peers.

Still, no matter what she did, Kagome thought of the past; thought of Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippou, Kohaku, Kaede, and even Sesshoumaru of all people. He had been a great help to them in the end and she personally had had the opportunity to spend some time with him while searching for Inuyasha and working to prevent themselves from falling prey to Naraku's illusions and trickery. It had been odd that he was on their side for once, but she supposed that Naraku was the greater of two evils and so hadn't really questioned it at the time.

She had both feared and anticipated the end of their journey, the downfall of their shared enemy and the destruction of the Shikon no Tama, but when it finally happened, it left her with an emptiness that she had never expected. In the future, she knew her friends were gone, out of her reach, never to be found again, but now she was here again and it literally took her breath away over and over again. Before now she could almost, almost pass it all off as an elaborate dream, but now it was real and for reasons she could not clearly identify, a sense of foreboding was settling itself around her, trailing icy fingers up and down her spine. She had wanted to come back, wanted it more than anything, but now, sitting here at the base of the well five hundred years in the past, she only now realized that it would not be the same. Whether the change would be a good one or a bad one however, remained to be seen.

'_Inuyasha…' _she thought distantly, 'I-I came back for you. You'd better not make me regret it!'

Without warning, she remembered her mother. Just before she had come to the well house, she had gone to talk to her mother. The elder female had seen the change in her daughter, missed the spring in the girl's step, the happiness in her eyes and the easy smile she had always taken for granted.

"I'm going," the young miko had begun hesitantly. "I know its been a while, but I'd like to try the well again. Just this one last time. If it doesn't work, I'll agree to let Grandpa lock it up for good."

Her mother had smiled sadly. She knew her daughter was hurting; that her soul ached to reunite with the part of her family she had left behind. Selfishly, she had initially been glad that the well had forced her to come back and then refused all her attempts to return. But then she remembered when she'd lost her husband, remembered the searing pain that had plagued her for years to follow. Her daughter was no doubt facing a similar hurt, but it was made more difficult for her by the lingering hope that one day, she might be able to reclaim all that was lost.

They had stood together on the newly polished floor of the kitchen, the elder female holding her daughter in her arms. "Go." she had told her softly, sadly. "If you feel that you must, then go. If I thought there was even the smallest possibility that I could be together with your father again, I would gladly leap into the well a thousand times, but I know such a thing is not meant to be." and with those words spoken, she had brushed a stream of tears from her eyes.

"Just know," she said at last, "That no matter what happens, whether the well takes you back or refuses you again, that you are loved on whichever side you are destined to stay."

They stayed that way for a long time without saying another word, each attempting to draw comfort from the other and succeeding passably well. Finally, her mother released her and Kagome was on the brink of saying something else when her mother placed a silencing finger over her lips. She didn't say a word, just smiled softly and then the young miko finally understood that the time for talk had passed. She gave a small nod before slowly backing away, her eyes still fixed on the matronly female. Only when she had finally made it to the door did Kagome turn away. Once out of the house, she ran with all her might lest she second guess herself and turn back again. Something about this trip to the well house felt different. She had dropped herself into the well's depths many times before this day, but this time, this time the twinge of hope that had resided in the deeper recesses of her mind had moved forward, bloomed into something bright and inviting, almost, but not quite promising her success.

Now as she took in the boughs of the sacred tree, she wondered if it was her mothers will all along that kept the well closed to her. She may not have even realized that she was blocking it off, but only when she seemed to come to an acceptance within herself did the well open for her again. The elder female was not without spiritual powers of her own so it was not impossible that this was the case. Sighing shakily, Kagome supposed it didn't matter now. She whished she'd spoken to her grandpa and brother before she left, but who was to say that the well would not take her back again?

Shoving her thoughts aside for later contemplation, she allowed a small smile to find her lips. She was back now, and no matter what happened from this moment forward, she would make the best of it.

'_They're all going to be so surprised and happy to see me again! Especially Inuyasha!'_

At last, Kagome took a deep, steadying breath, rose to her feet and began to walk.

* * *

Fine lines and pale skin, deadly claws and a stripped wrist met his gaze as Sesshoumaru absently took in the contours of his right hand. It looked no different than any other time he had deigned to look upon it but it did not feel quite the same as it had several days ago, or even the night before.

Clenching the appendage into a tight fist, he did not flinch when his claws bit into flesh, puncturing it and releasing thin rivulets of blood. Unsurprisingly there was pain, but it was not this that was of concern to him. Still wishing to cling to the lingering notion that his father was mistaken in his assessment, he was left wanting when the wounds did not immediately seal over.

Outwardly impassive, his eyes stared fixedly at his palm as the blood continued to flow. It took at least a minute for it to stop and perhaps ten for the wounds to seal. He knew that such a minor injury should have sealed nearly as swiftly as it was made and dared not to think of what a more severe injury could mean to him.

Slowly pressing forward, he dropped his hand to his side before taking in the morning sky. Dappled with gray clouds, he knew that the rains would eventually come again, but simply could not be bothered to care. Rain was the very least of his worries.

When questioned, his father had not been very informative as to how he, Sesshoumaru was to attain absolution and regain his invulnerability against purification, but he did offer a way to give him a bit more time to discover the answers on his own. The coming months hailed the extinction of countless youkai, but not all. There were those among his species that were either amiable toward the humans, or simply neutral. According to his father, it was these who would be spared. But even they would be monitored carefully. Their future existence relied solely upon their continued disinclination to harm the humans or the environments in which they lived.

As it turned out, it was these who would grant him the time he needed.

According to his father, he was to travel far to the east, where he would eventually come to a sprawling but secluded stretch of water, a vast estuary surrounded by plants and wildlife, the likes of which he had never seen before. There he would meet an ancient tortoise youkai called Oshiikame. He would need to procure a portion of her impenetrable shell, from which Totosai could fashion a new armor.

However, DaiGin had cautioned, she would not surrender her ancient, and powerful shell without question, and in spite of the great power he still held, he would not be able to take the shell by force. _"I cannot say for certain how you will convince her to surrender something of such great value, but I have faith that you will find a way, my son." _his father had said earnestly.

"_The new armor will prevent any further loss of your powers and may even restore some of that which was already lost. Still, even this is not likely to preserve your longevity and power indefinitely. Additionally, it will not restore your immunity to purification so you must still seek to atone for your former deeds."_

Sesshoumaru, a youkai accustomed to doing as he pleased without regard to those around him, felt a severe blow to his pride that he was now forced to acquiesce to the whims of not only the gods, but other youkai in order to ensure his survival. It was a deplorable state of affairs, but what was he to do? He would not simply lay down and die, not without first doing all that he could to ensure his survival. No doubt he had much to answer for in the afterlife, and he was honest enough with himself to admit that he was in no rush to get there. He was not fearful of death per se, but like most other living beings, he simply did not wish to die.

And so, for now, he would follow his father's vague instructions and continue traveling to the east. He was certain he could make better time if he took to the skies, but was unwilling to discover how this method of travel would weaken him.

Exhaling resignedly, the daiyoukai continued at his leisurely pace, his long hair and pelt swaying silently behind him. His father had always been a wise man, but also rather enigmatic as well; especially when it came to himself and Inuyasha. He often seemed to have motives other than what he was willing to say, his strange way of teaching his offspring a some great lesson they otherwise would not be able to learn. For the time being, he was left with no choice but to take his former lord's words at face value and believe that all he had told him would be of great benefit in the end.

Ahead of him and high in the sky, the sun peered through the clouds, its translucent rays filtering down to the earth so far below.

Sesshoumaru blinked languidly and a vague, distant part of his mind wondered if his father and brother had managed to find one another in the realm beyond this world.

* * *

"When was he supposed to come back?!" Kagome had asked Sango and Miroku, her voice threaded with urgency.

"He didn't say." Sango had told her, her own brow creased with concern.

"I am sure there is nothing to worry about." Miroku had tried to calm both females and the kit. "It has only been a few days. I am certain he will return soon."

But Kagome had not been convinced. Something did not seem right about this situation. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something about this bothered her, made her feel restless and anxious. She had spent the last three years thinking of little more than him and the life they could have had together if the well had not forced her to go back to her own time. Now that she was here again, he was no where to be found. She believed that he would, at the very least, stay near to the village in case she should return. She knew Inuyasha well enough to know that it would take a lot more than three years to make him give up hope. No, something was not right here. Not at all.

And so, after two very anxious days and nights waiting at Kaede's village, Kagome set out to find some answers. She had left before dawn, stealing off in the direction her friends had told her Inuyasha went. Miroku, Sango and even Kaede would have tried to talk her out of searching for him on her own, so she had departed before dawn, knowing that they were all still asleep. Leaving a short letter to explain her absence, she had informed them that she should be back within a few days. Since she had also borrowed a bow and two quivers of arrows from Kaede, there was no need for them to worry about her. Having continued her practice of archery at home, the young miko had not allowed her skills to become lax. She would do fine.

Though not looking forward to the aspect of traveling alone, she consoled herself with the hopefully valid knowledge that she would find Inuyasha fairly quickly. Sango was a bit too pregnant to be traveling while Miroku needed to be on standby in case his wife needed him. As far as Shippou, he was still a bit too young. If they were to happen upon danger, she would have to protect him as well as herself so she felt it prudent to simply leave him behind. Now that the Shikon jewel was gone the dangers of travel should be significantly lessened, but still she did not wish to chance the child's safety. She realized it probably was not the best of ideas to seek out Sesshoumaru by herself. The daiyoukai was unpredictable at the best of times and down right deadly the rest of the time, but something compelled her to go. She wasn't even sure she'd be able to find him, she really didn't have anything to go by after all. Still she knew she had to try. If the situation was reversed, there was no doubt that Inuyasha would come after her. Reservations aside, she could do no less for him.

Looking into the sky, the young miko's heart grew heavy as thick dark clouds began to gather above her. She had probably been traveling for less than two hours and now she would be forced to seek shelter as she was in no mood to be drenched. Sighing, Kagome wished she'd taken the time to pack an umbrella and some extra clothing, but really, she hadn't actually expected the well to bring her back after so much time. She'd been hopeful, but still hadn't believed it until the blue swirls of magic finally wrapped themselves around her. It had been familiar, but strange at the same time. Even now, two days later it was somewhat difficult to believe that she was really here again. The villagers had welcomed her with open arms, partially taking her mind off the missing hanyou. At night however, when she looked over to the corner near Kaede's door, she had found tears welling in her eyes when she could not see his familiar red form resting there. She had to find him!

The young miko crested a grassy knoll just as the first cool drops began to fall. There was another small village up ahead and she smiled. Hopefully someone down there would be kind enough to offer her shelter while she waited out the coming rain.

Stepping forward, Kagome was just about to navigate her way down the shallow but rocky incline when the cool brush of youki stroked its glacial fingers down her spine. Gasping softly, she pivoted where she stood, quickly but cautiously grasping for the bow she'd settled on her back. She drew an arrow quickly, seating it against the string and pulling it tight. When she was certain of the youkai's direction, she stood tall and aimed her weapon.

"I know your there!" she called toward a wooded area opposite of where she had just emerged. "If you're planning on attacking that village, I suggest you think again!" she announced and was proud that her voice was firm and sure. In reality, there were light tremors dancing over her skin. The demon was not low level by any means and she knew that if it chose to attack she would likely have only one chance to bring it down. She hadn't felt a demonic aura in years and to feel it now was both thrilling and terrifying. Mostly terrifying though.

Tightening her grip against the stiff, white fletching of her arrow, Kagome narrowed her eyes against the now steadily falling trickles of rain. "I won't warn you again!" she said at last.

Time seemed to stand still, the soft pattering of rain the only sound she could hear as she waited for the demon to emerge. Finally, a familiar silhouette came into view and the miko felt her breath catch in her throat.

'_Oh…' _she thought distantly, though she could not decide if this was a good development or a bad one.

Sesshoumaru paused at the edge of the small clearing, his eyes fixed unwaveringly on the diminutive female. His mind flooded with memory, and he was displeased to find that his recollections were not good. He recalled one of the occasions he had attempted to claim his father's fang from Inuyasha and this woman, just a girl at the time, had come to his defense. Much as she was threatening to do now, she had fired arrows at him. At the time, he had effortlessly caught one of the projectiles from the air, melting it with a small dose of his acidic poison. Should she fire upon him now, his only option would be to remove himself from the arrow's path, and even then he was not certain he would escape unscathed. Time it seemed, had only increased her powers as evident by the abrasive waves of purification that washed over him.

Surprisingly, the woman lowered her weapon, though tension remained evident in the rigidity of her stance.

"Sesshoumaru," she called out softly. The demon lord did not answer her, opting instead to simply maintain his position near the trees. After a long, unpleasant pause the woman spoke up again. "I… I was looking for you." she said quietly, her eyes still fixed on his over the space that separated them.

This… did not bode well, the demon lord decided with a faint narrowing of his eyes. There could only be one reason why this particular miko would be searching for him, yet he could not stop himself from asking, "Why so?"

Seeming to steady herself, she blinked away the drops of rain that had fallen onto her dark lashes before asking the exact question he did not wish to answer. "Do you know where I can find Inuyasha?"

* * *

As always, reviews are encouraged and appreciated.


	9. A Reluctant Agreement

Absolution's Pursuit

A Reluctant Agreement

* * *

"Do you know where I can find Inuyasha?"

The question seemed to weigh down the very air around him and the demon lord blinked slowly as he bided his time and considered his options. He, Sesshoumaru did not fear humans, did not, in fact fear death. What was not acceptable however, was a dishonorable demise. One such as he was meant to be felled only in heated battle by an opponent whose skills and power greatly surpassed his own. Even then death was only acceptable after a valiant effort on his part. It was not acceptable to perish at the hands of this pathetic human female, nor to lose his power and longevity and die as a wretched mortal.

"Sesshoumaru?" the woman prompted, her voice belying the delicate caution and healthy respect due to a creature as deadly as he. Little did she realize that her arrows, even her very touch could send him into the world beyond this plane.

"He is gone." the daiyoukai stated simply, his steady gaze finding her face, gauging her response. The sound of her rapidly beating heart met his ears and for the briefest of moments, her aura flared; lost a modicum of its stability and released another grating wave of purity against his senses.

"Gone?" she rasped softly, "What do you mean gone?"

He could see her eyes flickering with dread, traces of anxiety and the faintest hint of realization. His gaze remained steady, his posture firm and sure in spite of the uncertainty that was even now pooling at the base of his spine.

"He is dead."

The light clattering of wood against wood overtook the light pattering of rain as the miko's weapons fell from her now limp fingers. She took a single step away from him as if in preparation to flee. "No!" she insisted, "That's, that's not true!"

And inaudible sigh escaped him and the demon stepped forward, not fully comprehending why he felt the need to recover the additional space she had created in her partial retreat.

"I assure you it is," he informed the untrained miko. He continued to watch with faintly cautious interest as streams of tears began spilling from her eyes.

"It can't… it can't be!! H-how do you know?!" she yelled, her voice cracking about the edges. Her eyes were fixed on his face, traces of accusation visible in their chocolate depths. She was clenching a tiny fist against her breast, still struggling in vain to hold onto the last traces of her denial. Her knees were growing weak, the exposed planes of her legs shaking beneath the short kimono she wore. Not quite as revealing as that ridiculous green and white ensemble she always used to wear, this kimono was decorated in a pattern of tiny blue and white checkers, while the double layered top pieces were solid but of complimenting colors.

"How do you know?!" she demanded again, baring her blunt human teeth as if they could possibly be of any threat to him.

The demon lord was silent for several more seconds, all the while the tension was growing thick in the air.

Finally, finally he told her, "Because I attempted to bring him back."

The air rushed from her lungs and her frail legs finally gave out on her. The female collapsed to the ground, seemingly unconcerned as moisture seeped into her clothing. "No…" she said after a long, trembling pause, "I can't… I-I don't believe you." Unchecked, the tears streamed down her cheeks, somehow managing to stand out against the previous moisture of delicate rain. Her dark hair, heavy, damp, and longer than he remembered, spilled down around her, a few of the ebony tresses pooling in her lap as she hung her head in despair.

"I buried him myself." the daiyoukai pressed on, his voice low and even. "If you wish to visit his grave…"

"NO!!!" the woman shrieked, her head shooting up and allowing him to see the wide-eyed panic and renewed sense of denial.

The demon lord stepped forward again but the woman quickly scrambled to her feet. "He's not dead!" she denied heatedly. "He can't be!! I came back to this time just for him!! He can't be! He's not weak! He wouldn't die on me like that!!"

"He was felled in battle." the inu lord told her. "It seems that his spirit had been weakened, but his demise was honorable."

"Stop saying that!! Just stop it, stop it!! Don't say that again! He's NOT dead!" she cried, her voice grainy with the overwhelming weight of her emotions.

"Denying the truth of my words will change nothing. I was there… I saw him. He is gone."

"NOOOO!!!!" she cried again, placing a hand over each of her ears as if blocking the words would change the reality. When he stepped forward again, the miko began to back away. One unsure step and then another before she spun on her heel and broke into a frantic run, presumably back the way she had come.

For a time, Sesshoumaru simply watched her shrink into the distance, leaving behind her weapons and the lingering scent of her anguish. He could still hear her crying even when he could no longer see her.

An old, rarely used sensation washed over him in caustic waves and it took several moments for the demon to recognize it as guilt. As emotionally detached as he had always prided himself to be, Sesshoumaru was never one to take pleasure in the suffering of a female. The fact that she was human was of no matter.

Aside from that, there was the niggling sense of unease at the fact that he had not been entirely honest with her. Obviously it was not in his best interest to do so, but as a fundamentally truthful creature, he was not pleased with the fact that he had been forced into any modicum of deception. Prudence, however, had given him very little in the way of acceptable options.

Sternly, the daiyoukai dismissed the shadow of malcontent that had attempted to envelope him in its icy embrace. His situation was bleak enough as it stood. Full disclosure would likely have prompted the miko to attack and Sesshoumaru was fairly certain that the blood of a priestess on his claws would have only increased the calamitous state of his situation. Besides, she was a woman and he really did not care to harm her unless no other option was available.

* * *

When he found her again, Kagome was leaning against the diminutive structure of an ancient well, her eyes blank and distant as she stared listlessly into the still cloudy sky. The rain had since abated, but he suspected she would not have cared one way or the other.

Even as he stood there, watching her from the edge of the clearing, Sesshoumaru could not say for certain what compelled him to follow her. Logically, he realized that it was probably best to avoid her, but, against his better judgment he found himself content to follow the scent of her pain and tears. His journey would have lead him near this area anyway, so trailing the female really was of no consequence.

Leisurely moving forward, the youkai stopped just a few feet from her position, dropping her discarded weapons in the small space that lay between them.

"Foolish girl." he chided softly. "It is not safe for one such as yourself to travel unarmed."

"Doesn't matter." she told him, dejection clear in her tone. "Nothing matters anymore. I can't go back to the village, I won't. I won't burden Sango and the others with my grief. They were all so happy together. They're a family now. There's no room for me there. And the well…" she trailed off, a pair of fresh tears escaping her unblinking eyes. "The well won't take me home again." She sighed softly, resignedly, her eyes closing as she folded her hands in her lap and leaned her head against the rim of the well. "I won't survive long on my own anyway, so what's the point?"

The daiyoukai did not respond to that, simply maintained his silence. It was strange to see the female this way. He had never seen her so downtrodden, so completely devoid of hope and that annoying sense of optimism. He found it strange, yet oddly intriguing.

"Where is your family?" he heard himself asking, though he had given no prior thought to the question.

The miko did not reply immediately and when she finally deigned to do so, she sighed and said, …"I guess… I don't have one. Not anymore." And in her mind, her youthful visions of herself together with Inuyasha and their silver-haired quarter youkai children, faded and crumbled at her feet like the ashes of so many purified demons. It all seemed so silly now, but the three years that had separated them had left her with such an overwhelming sense of longing, so many fantasies of what could have been. And now that she was here again, here in the place that had become more and more like home to her the longer she was separated from it, the one person who truly made it so was gone.

It had been too much to hope for; too much to hope that the only male she had ever had any sort of romantic interest in, the brash hanyou with his adorable puppy dog ears, the one who had been her brave and unfaltering hero would be here waiting for her should the well ever decide to welcome her back. Swallowing and allowing her eyes to shift just a little, she noted that the demon was still there. She had expected him to simply walk away, but since he was still here, he could answer a question for her, destroy her already shattered heart; remind her just how ridiculous her fantasies and girlish dreams had really been. Perhaps the additional pain induced by the unrefined truth would be enough to kill her, to end her now miserable existence and blot out the stain of her stupidity and presumptiveness.

"When did he die?" the woman asked, her tone bland and leeched of the emotion he could still detect in her scent.

"Three days ago." he told her, his voice cool and even.

A wet, humorless chuckle escaped her, grating down Sesshoumaru's spine as her already crestfallen expression crumpled into nothing less than the physical embodiment of unrepressed anguish.

She began to cry. Drawing her knees up to her chin and wrapping her arms around them, the woman dropped her head, only slightly muffling the sound of her miserable bawling.

She had just missed him, just by a few days, and somehow that made it so much worse. The pain was almost physical and in the murkiest corners of her mind, Kagome wished that the grief would stop her heart rather than simply torment it. She wanted to run away, flee the pain, flee the reality that he was really dead, flee the emotionally detached creature that stood near to her, telling her that her life was over, that the love of her life and his own sibling was gone, without the slightest shred of care or concern. She almost wanted to lash out at him, almost wanted to inflict upon him the pain that was consuming the entirety of her soul, but she didn't, couldn't. He had already done far more than anyone would have expected.

He had tried to bring him back…

Spiraling further into her despair, the untrained miko shuddered and wailed, her miniscule frame jolting against itself with the force of her sobs. She was so consumed in the depths of her self pity, that she did not notice the pale form of the demon lord as he apparently lost interest in her display of emotion and retreated into the nearby woods. She wanted to go back to the village, wanted the others to welcome her with open arms and sooth away her heartache. She wanted to volt over the edge of the well again and have it return her to her proper time, but none of those things would make it better, none of those things would make the hurt go away, so she just sat there and cried her heart out, reminding herself over and over that she would never see him again. That he was gone, gone, gone, and he was never, ever going to come back.

* * *

The late afternoon sun had finally broken through the thick layers of clouds, though its appearance did little to brighten what was left of the day. Pale and watery, its lethargically iridescent beams blotted the earth in erratic patterns through the thick scattering of trees.

Bathed in a diluted yellow glow, a tiny clearing played host to a small female. Her body slightly skewed in its futile pursuit of comfort, the young woman's head was partially supported by the well on which she had slumped, while her shoulder took the remaining weight. Her arms were folded over her stomach while her long legs, one folded beneath the other were sprawled out in front of her.

Coaxed by a soft breeze, the surrounding grass rustled lightly against itself and the woman slowly opened her eyes.

"Your imprudence knows no bounds." a cool voice broke into the stillness.

Recognizing the voice, but not understanding why it happened to be there at all, Kagome wrapped her arms around herself and angled her body so that she was facing the opposite direction from which it had come. "What's it to you?"

The voice did not respond to this.

Figures. "Why are you here anyway? I thought you were gone."

Hearing the stir of grass behind her, the woman did not even bother to turn and face the being that currently shared her space.

Looking down on her, Sesshoumaru considered her question. When she had broken into uncontrolled sobbing, he had made his departure, content to leave her behind and be on his way. But, something had insisted that he should go back. An unrelenting voice, one that sounded suspiciously like his father, had tormented him persistently until he finally doubled back on his path, returning to the small clearing where he had left her. By the time he had returned, she had fallen asleep, tracks of dried tears staining her otherwise passably attractive face.

For her sake, it was probably a good thing he had returned when he did, because the woman would have found herself in a situation she surely would not have appreciated. Someone had been watching her. From the boughs of an nearby tree, a young forest youkai had been eying her in a way that clearly displayed his lascivious intentions. Worrying his lower lip between his teeth, the male had been greedily devouring her feminine curves, his focus centering on the exposed flesh of her legs.

Upon sensing his youki, the demon started, his pale green eyes wide with surprise as Sesshoumaru moved to the miko's side. Passing a quick glance to the girl, to the inu lord and back again, the forest youkai leapt from the tree and sprinted off in the opposite direction.

Once the deplorable creature was gone, Sesshoumaru moved a short distance away and seated himself in the shade of a young tree. During the time she slept, he allowed his mind to wander. He was becoming mortal, he remembered, the memory causing an unhappy furrow to mar his brow. There did not seem to be a significant difference within him, but he did not feel quite the same. There was a faint heaviness in his limbs that had not been there before. He wondered if this new development would affect his trademark speed and agility.

He wondered if the tortoise shell he was currently seeking would truly be of any benefit. It was this thought that triggered a memory, a memory of what his father had told him very shortly before he returned to the world beyond…

"_I cannot say for certain how you will convince her to surrender something of such great value, but I have faith that you will find a way, my son."_

'_Oshiikame,' _he remembered. She would not surrender her shell without question so…

His calculating gaze fell upon the miko. Swaddled in the defenselessness of sleep, she seemed completely without care, in spite of the constant dangers and emotional turmoil that surrounded her. It was around then that he made his decision.

"You will come with me." Sesshoumaru spoke across the small space. The woman jolted visibly before turning to face him.

"What?!" she asked, her expression conveying confusion and incredulity.

"You said that you would not return to the village, so you will come with me instead."

A flurry of thoughts whirred through Kagome's mind, not the least of which were _'What?!' _Or, _'Who did he think he was to suddenly make demands of her?'_ and _'What the heck was he talking about anyway?'_ but the one she finally voiced was, "Why?"

"Inuyasha is no longer here to protect you. I shall do so in his stead."

"Oh…" the woman breathed softly, her features softening but still belying traces of confusion. She did not answer for a long time, and Sesshoumaru briefly considered the ways he might convince her should she decide to refuse.

Her brow furrowing, the untrained miko considered his proposal and the possible reasons behind it. In her mind however, the latter was sorely lacking, except…

She looked up at him, attempting to find her answers in the blank façade of his face. When nothing seemed to be forthcoming, she focused on his eyes. There was something there, something she could not identify, though she was sure she had never seen it before. Was it… was it possible that he felt guilty for not being able to save Inuyasha? It seemed ridiculous, but nothing else could explain his current behavior.

The silence, faintly colored of tension and seemingly endless, stretched its wings around them, filled the space like something alive and tangible, all the while waiting for one of them to speak.

Finally, Sesshoumaru had had enough. He was not entirely comfortable with what he was about to say, but he needed to convince her without force.

"Consider it… a means of atonement."

Those words, simple yet devastatingly profound, seeped into her mind and invaded her heart. Her lower lip trembled at the weight of it, yet she managed to keep her tears at bay. His words played in her mind over and over again, and as out of place as it seemed, she now understood that, in spite of the relationship the brothers had shared in life, there was something there. A familial bond that left Sesshoumaru feeling culpable for the fact that he had not been able to save his only sibling.

"Yes," she finally choked out, "I'll go with you."

Giving a curt nod that signaled the completion of their agreement, Sesshoumaru refrained from smirking at this small victory.

With a miko under his guardianship, Oshiikame would surrender her shell without fail.

* * *

Whew! Finally got this done! I know the tone is still pretty melancholic, but hopefully the next chapter will be a bit lighter. I really hope you all enjoyed and please review!


	10. The Great Totoise, Oshiikame

Absolution's Pursuit

The Great Tortoise, Oshiikame

* * *

The next morning, the miko found herself being shaken awake by a firm hand on her right shoulder. Moaning in protest, the female rolled away from the one who sought to rouse her, her need for rest clearly not sated, despite the fact that she had slept for several hours of the previous day and the entirety of the night.

In the serenity of her dreams, Kagome was safe, was happy… was truly at peace. She dreamed of Inuyasha. She knew she was only dreaming, but she wanted to hold on to his illusory, comforting presence for as long as possible. In her dream, the hanyou's eyes were large and sad, his form slightly blurred about the edges. They met on the watery, faded stage of his forest, just beneath the Sacred Tree. He didn't say a word, only smiled sadly and pulled her into his arms. Choking on a bitter-sweet sob, Kagome accepted and returned his embrace.

She could feel him, feel his solidity, but he wasn't as warm as he should have been. Silent tears streamed from her eyes, though if they were tears of pain or joy, she could not say. Tangling her fingers in the rough, red fabric of his signature clothing, the young miko held on as if her life depended on it.

"Inuyasha…" she finally choked out, her voice soft but slightly hoarse. "I wish… I wish you could have waited for me." the tears were streaming down her face now, and the already hazy clearing around them became even more blurred to her tired eyes. "Why did you leave me, Inuyasha? Why did you leave me?"

"I didn't mean to." he told her after a moment. "I… I didn't think you were coming back. I thought you had left me."

"NO!" she denied vehemently. "I would never leave you!" she pulled away to look at him and was further dismayed by his now nearly transparent form. "I promised, remember? I… I don't know what happened. The well, it… it forced me…" she trailed off as he pressed as silencing finger to her lips.

"I know that now. I just… I wish things could have been different, you know."

She fell against him again, tightening her embrace as she allowed her tears to soak into his clothing. "It's not to late…" she said quietly.

She heard him scoff softly. "What's that supposed to mean?"

She looked up at him again, her face stained with tears. "Take me with you."

He smiled, but she could see the sadness there. "Don't be stupid." he chided gently. "I made a promise too, and I ain't gonna break it. Not even now."

Knowing that she would only cry if she spoke, Kagome settled for a quick nod. It was both euphoric and tormenting to be here with him like this. She knew it wasn't real, but she wished, so desperately that it was. Closing her eyes, she again sought out the solidity of his form only to find that he was no longer there. Panic gripped her heart as she frantically searched for his familiar form.

"Inuyasha?!" she called out, her voice colored with fear and desperation. The clearing in which they had stood was growing darker now, the shadows seeping in from every corner. "Inuyasha!"

"It wasn't meant for me to follow you through the well and it's not meant for you to follow me now." she heard his voice echoing through her mind. "I don't know why things turned out the way they did, but I think there was a reason for it."

A shuddering breath escaped her just as her eyes began to open. Her bleary gaze was met with that of Sesshoumaru, the crisp gold of his eyes jolting her more fully into consciousness. He was kneeling just in front of her, his hand and striped wrist moving away almost the instant her state of awareness was confirmed. In the early hour of dawn, thin beams of sunlight spilled into the clearing in which they'd spent the night, their translucent rays soft and faintly comforting, even though the young miko was hardly in the mood to appreciate it.

The creature before her, a male she scarcely knew, stared at her in silence. Though Kagome absently noted the small bundle clutched in his right hand, her gaze became locked with his as she vainly attempted to discern what he might be thinking. Familiar only in color, his eyes were narrow, pensive and cool. They told little to nothing of his inner musings, leaving her to feel as if she was completely alone, in spite of the fact that she obviously was not. Turning away, she pulled herself upright and ran a hand through her sleep mussed hair. Irrationally, she found herself slightly annoyed, though she was not sure if it was because he had awakened her so early or because he dared to look at her with those eyes that were so similar, yet so vastly different from the ones she knew so well.

"What is it?" she asked, discontent coloring her tone.

The demon lord seemed to take no note of the edge in her voice, opting instead to rise to his full height and turn away from her. For a moment he did not speak and Kagome simply stared at him, her level of annoyance on the rise until he pivoted slightly and tossed the soft package he had been holding at her feet.

"Collect your things." he announced shortly. "We are leaving."

Kagome frowned. "Why so early?" she asked, rubbing her eyes tiredly. When it became evident that he had no intention of answering her, Kagome glared at him, barely resisting the urge to wrinkle her nose in annoyance. Folding her legs beneath her, she collected her bow and arrows from where they had been neatly lying beside her. Once she had settled them in their proper position on her person, she turned her attention to the package.

"What is this?" she wanted to know, her previous exasperation placed on hold as she determined to sate her curiosity.

Sesshoumaru glanced down at her over his shoulder and Kagome could not help but notice how arrogant he looked in that moment. "Open it." he commanded softly.

The untrained miko hesitated for only a moment before she undid one of the thin ties. The remaining strip of cloth was soon to follow and then she carefully peeled away the thin layer of silk. Folded neatly inside was a pristine white kimono and matching kosode. She was initially hit with a wave of confusion until further inspection revealed a bright red hakama and a pair of geta sandals.

"What's this for?" she asked, placing the items back as they were and re-tying the bundle.

A single brow lifted into the shadow of his silver bangs. "You are a miko." he stated simply. "As long as you remain in my company I will expect you to dress according to your station."

Kagome frowned again. "But I'm not a real miko. I… I never received proper training. I took a few lessons from Kaede, but…"

"It is your innate power that makes you a priestess, not the training."

Kagome's expression became pensive. "No," she disagreed, "I think both play a pretty important part."

Sesshoumaru seemed to consider this. "Perhaps," he conceded, "Never the less your current attire is… inappropriate for travel." he finally managed, not quite keeping the traces of frustration from his voice.

Though he was not accustomed filtering his speech in this way, the daiyoukai also knew that he could not risk insulting the girl. She could refuse to wear the clothing, or worse she could reverse her decision to travel with him all together. He had promised to protect her and was bound by his honor to do so as long as she remained in his company. However the connection between them was extremely fragile and she was under no obligation to stay. His offer of protection could easily be rejected should she become cross with him and decide to return to her friends.

He did not like it, but for now a minor sacrifice of pride was the price he would have to pay, at least until he was able to obtain the portion of Oshiikame's shell needed to create his new armor.

Kagome was giving him a dubious look. _'Inappropriate for travel?' _she wondered mutely. She supposed he had a point. She had never really given much thought to it when she had trekked the lands of feudal Japan years ago in her school uniform, but thinking on it now, she could certainly recall a few occasions where more modest attire would have come in handy.

Besides, she thought, melancholy; it was probably a good idea to get used to the clothing of this time seeing as how the well refused to take her home again.

"Okay," she finally answered, her voice small and almost timid. "But I'll need a bath first. Do you know where…?"

"Come." he said, cutting her off and turning on his heel.

Tired and slightly annoyed, Kagome instantly became distracted by the long, silvery flow of hair that delicately fluttered behind him when he pivoted and began to walk away. It was… stunning. She'd never really seen it up close before but now that she had, she could scarcely stop herself from staring at it. Somehow, managing to escape her mild stupor, the priestess frowned and ran a hand through her own dark tresses. Upon doing so, the thin line that marred her brow only deepened as her fingers snagged in the tangles there.

An unhappy look gracing her face, Kagome reluctantly trailed after him.

* * *

It was perhaps an hour later when Kagome, bathed and fully clothed was using the water's glasslike surface to check the state of her hair. Opting to forgo the side-locks Kikyou always seemed to prefer, Kagome had pulled her now tangle free tresses into a low que using one of the thin white hair ties she had previously overlooked in the package given to her by Sesshoumaru.

After their hasty departure from the clearing, the untrained miko had followed the inu lord into a nearby forest. They had traveled for less than a quarter of an hour before they made it to a small basin. Branching off from a shallow stream, the water was cool and clean, apparently serving as a water source to the neighboring village whose early morning cooking fires made its presence known, in spite of the fact that she was not close enough to see it.

Once he had led her to the water, Sesshoumaru had turned to her, advised that he would return soon and had suggested that she be prepared to depart by then. He didn't bother telling her where he was going and because he left so abruptly, Kagome was not given the opportunity to ask. She supposed it didn't really matter and so had given a cursory scan to her surroundings before she'd began to disrobe and submerged herself in the chilled water. She was not provided with any bathing supplies and so she had to make due with just the cool water. Previous stays in this era had accustomed her to such things as a certain hanyou was not always understanding of her need for things like soaps and shampoos.

When she was reasonably satisfied with her state of cleanliness, the miko had exited the pool and carefully donned her new clothing, trying in vain to ignore how the new, slightly stiff cloth clung to her damp skin. In the pursuit of drying her hair, she had sacrificed the thin sweater she had previously been wearing to towel dry it as best she could. It was still a little damp, but at least now it would not soak her new clothing.

Sighing, Kagome tucked a few stray strands behind her ear and stood. Her skin was not as damp now and so her clothing was not quite so clingy. The day was young but it was already growing warmer. Even her sweater, which she had placed over a large rock was nearly dry as it sat beneath the unfiltered rays of the sun.

Searching the area again, Kagome noted that there was no sign of the demon lord. Only now did she begin to wonder where he had gone and how soon he would return. Seating herself next to the stone that was currently serving as her clothing rack, the untrained miko sighed again and brushed imaginary debris from her hakama. She ran a hand over the lightly textured cloth, absently marveling at the quality stitching and material. It occurred to her, very distantly that it was pretty nice of Sesshoumaru to procure such high quality clothing for her, even though she hadn't actually ask for it. Like the kimonos she had always seen Rin wearing, the clothing was not extravagant by any means, but it was clearly of a higher quality and craftsmanship than most people of this time were able to afford. She'd have to thank him; whenever he made it back.

As if summoned by her thoughts, the swell of powerful youki signaled the daiyoukai's return even before she turned to face him. Its intensity caused her heart to skip a beat before she was reminded that, as odd as it seemed, Sesshoumaru was no longer her enemy. She stood, brushing a few dried leaves from her hakama before she pivoted to look up at him. He paused just a few feet from where she stood, seeming to take a moment to study her face. She watched, oddly nervous as his eyes scanned her from top to bottom and back again before he gave a nearly indistinct nod of acceptance.

From his shoulder, he casually removed a medium-sized satchel that she had not previously taken note of. Refusing to meet her gaze, he turned slightly before extending a striped hand in his own jaded manner of offering. Curious but opting to maintain her silence, Kagome took the pack, lifting the thick, suede-like flap to peer inside. She was surprised to find several pieces of fruit, including a few luscious looking peaches and two large apples. There was also a sizable sack of what appeared to be rice, a medium-sized water canteen and a carefully wrapped bundle of what she soon discovered to be dried meat, though the exact variety was unclear.

"I…" she began, slightly flabbergasted. "Thank you Sesshoumaru," she said at last. Then looking down at her new clothing and then back to him again she added, "For everything."

He had been gazing off into the horizon but upon hearing her words of appreciation, he allowed his golden eyes to slide away from their aimless stare into the distance to land on her faintly smiling face. "Do not mention it." he told her before he turned fully and began to walk. Then, after what was apparently a moment of contemplation he added, "However, know that in the future you will be expected to acquire your own provisions."

"R-right," she muttered, slipping the bag over her shoulder and hastily falling in step behind him.

* * *

Traveling with Sesshoumaru turned out to be as tedious an affair as the miko would have expected it to be, had she ever given it a moment's thought. Conversation was all but non existent, a situation which allowed Kagome to dwell in her own less than pleasant thoughts.

Three additional days had passed since the day they'd set out. Three nights in which she had slept, dreamlessly beneath the stars, occasionally waking in a mild start and looking for Inuyasha. He was never there of course, and had not appeared to her subconscious mind since that first night. He was scarcely far from her thoughts though.

She missed him so much.

Sesshoumaru, though not a very good companion from what she could tell so far, did seem to understand that human beings did not possess the seemingly endless energy of youkai. He never directly addressed her state of fatigue, however he did call fairly frequent halts to their traveling, allowing her a time to rest before they would resume their journey. Even though he was the one who had invited her to travel with him, Kagome hoped that she was not slowing him down too much. He always made sure they camped near a water source in the evenings and even seemed to pass areas where wild fruits were readily available. She didn't dare ask, but the young miko wondered if this behavior was a habit he'd picked up during the years he'd spent with Rin. She wished he'd kept the adorable young girl with him. She had always seemed extremely upbeat and pleasant. She certainly would have provided better company than the demon lord himself.

For the most part, he was never more than a few feet away from her, even when she was sleeping, but he always seemed extremely distant. He would occasionally wander off, typically during their breaks, but he never went so far away that she could not feel his youki.

Kagome, an inherently friendly person, did not really know how to feel around him. There were times when she wanted to strike up a conversation with him, just to break the silence, but she usually stopped herself at the last minute, certain he would not bother to indulge her.

Staring down at her sandaled feet as they moved through the sparse grass beneath her, the untrained miko was completely taken by surprise by the striped wrist that suddenly darted out in front of her, instantly bringing her to a halt. Her breath forced from her body, more from surprise than from the back of his arm against her belly, Kagome looked up with wide eyes, wondering what was happening. Years ago, she would have lost her temper and demanded to know why he couldn't have thought of a better way to gain her attention, but years of traveling with an extremely protective hanyou had conditioned her to understand such behaviors.

Still as a statue, Sesshoumaru did not retrieve his arm, even when it was clear she had stopped. He stared straight ahead, his chin lifted slightly as if he was able to see something she could not.

"What is it?" Kagome whispered quietly, urgently; her hand moving to grip the bow she still carried over her shoulder.

For a long, tense moment he did not answer, simply maintained his position, the occasional blinking of his eyes the only indication that he had not turned to stone.

"Stay behind me." he finally said, his arm falling back to his side as he began to move forward once more. Swallowing, Kagome gave a quick nod of agreement, moving to trail him as they slowly weaved their way through the trees and brush.

Her fingers still gripping her bow, the miko watched the demon intently, looking for cues in his body language to let her know when or if she should ready her weapon. She did not sense any malevolent youkai in the area, but evil demons were not the only creatures that could be considered a threat in these dangerous times.

As they broached the edge of the forest in which they'd been traveling, an enormous clearing came into view. Surrounded by lush vegetation on all sides, a sizable lake rested in its center, the water tinted a pale greenish hue. Through the peppering of trees, yellow rays of sunlight spilled in, blinding Kagome for only a moment before she moved into Sesshoumaru's shadow. Without warning, the ground began to shake, nearly causing the untrained miko to loose her footing and go sprawling to the ground. Conveniently, the inu lord's pelt happen to be within easy reach and without really thinking, she grabbed hold of it just in time to keep herself upright.

She steadied herself quickly, in spite of the fact that the ground still shook beneath them. And, forgetting his warning, she moved to his side, her curiosity getting the better of her as she stared at the lake. This seemed to be the source of the disturbance and she watched its rippling surface, her lips slightly parted as she waited to see what would emerge.

Slightly annoyed that she had not obeyed his command, the daiyoukai slid a quick glance to the female beside him, taking note of her white knuckles as her hand gripped her weapon.

Another earthshaking jolt captured his attention and he too refocused on the lake. The surface soon broke, a brownish-grey dome rising, allowing the cool water to spill down and over as the object continued to rise from the depths. Lifting higher and higher, the object towered over them, partially blotting out the sun even as it continued to rise. A pattern was now visible on the brown-grey surface, one that tickled the miko's mind with distant familiarity.

"A… tortoise…" she finally realized, awe coloring the soft whisper of her words.

The creature's rounded head, a dusty green color and spotted with darker green scales of various size and shape, gradually rose from the pool, supported by a long, thick neck.

The pair watched with interest as the water continued to fall away, spilling back down into the lake from which it had come. Moving toward the bank, the creature parked the upper portion of its enormous body in the thin grass, it's head lowering slightly; almost as if to acknowledge their presence. Large, dark and oddly feminine, the creatures eyes slowly began to open, its ancient, gently weathered face angling to look down at them.

His lips barely seeming to move, a quiet utterance spilled from the demon lord's lips.

"Oshiikame."

* * *

Dear readers, please forgive this Sianna for her gross lack of motivation as of late. If I had had any doubt that I would retire from writing upon the completion of this story and Remnants, I now know without a doubt that I will be. Because I don't want to leave my works incomplete, I will really try to get these last two stories done, but I don't know how often I will update. I'll try to do so every other week.

Thanks for reading and please review!


	11. A Minor Sacrifice of Blood

Absolution's Pursuit

A Minor Sacrifice of Blood

A quick note on my OC, Oshiikame: One of my lovely reviewers mentioned that the word "Oshii" translates to mean "Regrettable" and that "Kame," means tortoise. Well, according to the online Japanese to English dictionary I have been using as a reference, the word "Oshii," in addition to translating as "Regrettable," can also translate as "Precious." This is the definition I had in mind when I named her. "Precious Tortoise." I don't speak a word of Japanese, so this was my attempt at coming up with unique name.

* * *

"Oshiikame."

Surprised, Kagome looked to the demon lord before turning back to the tortoise again. He knew this creature? The daiyoukai had not been so gracious as to disclose where they were going and why, so happening upon this massive, awe inspiring youkai was a complete surprise to her.

Delicate streams of water still trailing from her face and neck, the creature leveled the weight of her gaze upon Sesshoumaru. Her dark eyes, intense and impenetrable, spoke silently of centuries upon centuries of age and wisdom, the likes of which neither of them would ever know.

"This place…" the creature finally announced, her voice deep, melodic and scarcely eroded with the centuries, "Has never been highly traveled. Therefore, I can only surmise that your presence here is not coincidental."

With amazement, Kagome took note of the fact that the tortoise's mouth did not move as she spoke. Was she projecting her thoughts directly into their minds somehow?

"It is not." she heard Sesshoumaru say, and in a manner she would not have expected from someone of his apparent prominence, the inu lord bent at the waist and gave a curt but respectful bow. Shocked, Kagome managed to regain her composure after a second or two before taking his cue and executing a similar bow of her own.

Oshiikame narrowed her eyes, though the gesture was only slightly menacing. Mostly it was a look of contemplation, still focused entirely on Sesshoumaru.

"You seem familiar to me young inu." her rich voice sounded again. "Tell me, who are you?"

"I am Lord Sesshoumaru of the western lands." then, almost as an after thought he added, sparing a glance to the female beside him, "And this is Kagome. She is currently under my guardianship."

As if she had not noticed her presence until now, the tortoise turned her attention to Kagome as well. "Hmm…" she murmured thoughtfully, "A miko under the guardianship of a daiyoukai… how very unusual." She sounded faintly amused. Turning back, she studied Sesshoumaru again. The silver hair and golden eyes sparked something in her memory. Even his very youki was familiar to her, but for the moment she could not quite place it. "The western lands you say? Then you must know of DaiGin?"

Barely keeping the surprise from his face, the demon lord gave a curt nod. "He was my father."

"Was…?" Oshiikame repeated. "So he is no longer among the living I presume." she muttered quietly, her eyes becoming slightly distant.

Sesshoumaru did not bother confirming her summation, choosing instead to allow her conclusion to stand on its own.

For a moment, the silence stretched out between them before the tortoise seemed to reemerge from her thoughts. "Well," she said at last, "Tell me why you are here."

"I require a portion of your shell." the demon lord intoned, his voice firm and free of hesitation.

For the first time, Oshiikame's eyes widened, surprise writ clear on her face. "Oh, and I am to simply hand over something as precious to me as the very shell on my back?"

Seemingly undaunted, the daiyoukai blinked languidly before correcting, "No, I only need a single piece. If you require compensation…"

The tortoise's musical chuckle vibrated the air, her large eyes sparkling with her apparent mirth. "Compensation? I require nothing but solitude and you have already robbed me of that!" she told him, her merriment dying out. "So tell me, why should I surrender any portion of my shell for the sake of one such as you?"

From the corner of her eyes, Kagome watched as a shallow crease spread over Sesshoumaru's brow. He was silent for several moments which left the untrained miko with the impression that he was at a loss for what to say.

"Umm… Oshiikame-sama," she thought to add the honorific at the last moment. Sending a nervous glance to her companion and then back to the tortoise she ventured, "I… I'm sure he has a good reason for asking. Sesshoumaru… he's not a bad person so he wouldn't use it for anything evil.."

"Oh?" the tortoise challenged, "And tell me young miko, do you even know why he would required such a thing? Has he even bothered to tell you?"

Startled by the question, Kagome released a light gasp, quickly trying and failing to think of how to respond to that. "Umm… well, not exact--"

"Silence Kagome!" the inu lord barked, his impatience with her interference having finally reached its end.

"Oh!" the miko gasped stepping away from him, her expression the picture of shock. Apologetic, she placed the tips of her fingers against her lips, afraid she had said something wrong.

"Young inu," Oshiikame chimed in, interrupting their tense exchange. Their attention was instantly drawn back to her, allowing them to see that the great tortoise was lowering her head, her eyes sliding closed. "Come closer."

Pillowed in the grass now, the tortoise rested her impressive head, its crown outmatching even Sesshoumaru in its immense height. Stepping closer, the inu paused just inches from where she lay.

"Do you see the scale at the center of my forehead?"

Sesshoumaru looked carefully, studying the cluster of large scales on the center of the tortoise's brow. It took a moment, but he soon realized that one was a bit more prominent than those that surrounded it. Additionally, the color was of a slightly different hue. The daiyoukai moved a little closer.

"Touch it." she commanded, her eyes still closed; posture relaxed.

Demonic energy lifting him from the ground, Sesshoumaru hovered over Oshiikame for only a moment before leaning in to place his palm against the scale. He watched, eyes widening slightly as the scale began to emit a soft green glow.

Oshiikame allowed the inu's youki to flow in through the enchanted scale, studying every nuance of his aura to truly discover the secrets of why he had come to her.

He was very proud, she realized, even to the point of arrogance. His demeanor was cool and calculating, his actions rarely invoked by raw impulse. He possessed a willful nature, was persistent in acquiring what he wanted, yet he held a soft spot for women and children. Though extremely young compared to herself, the inu was quite jaded most of the time and tended to make himself emotionally unavailable to those around him. It was this final discovery that inspired Oshiikame to look a little deeper, and when she did the ancient tortoise found something there she truly did not expect.

Buried very deep in his psyche, beneath the layers of cool detachment, beneath the odd sense of honor, beneath the simmering guilt for some crime she did not know, was a tiny sliver of loneliness; so miniscule and so deep that even he may not have been aware of its presence. Perhaps, without even realizing it, this tiny, suppressed emotion had played a role in him taking the young miko as his charge.

Deciding to leave this discovery for later contemplation, the great tortoise also noted that the young daiyoukai was looking for something; something of great importance, yet it was intangible and illusive. She suspected that, whatever it was, he did not have the slightest idea of how to attain it.

Additionally, he was gradually losing his demonic power. At the rate he was going, the entirety of his youki would fade within the next year, maybe less. Perhaps… he was seeking a means to restore it. Did he understand that her shell could not provide a permanent solution to such a detrimental predicament?

The delicate green glow began to fade and Sesshoumaru looked on as Oshiikame slowly opened her eyes. Feeling the pinch of fatigue, the inu lord landed, returning to the side of his traveling companion as he waited to see what the ancient tortoise would say.

"I see…" she murmured quietly, her eyes refocusing on the male. For a long moment she said nothing further before her large dark eyes slid over to the miko. "I can only imagine that you have your reasons for not disclosing your… situation to your young charge. I will not do so in your stead, but I believe you understand that, as she is under your protection, she does have the right to know."

Sesshoumaru gave a curt nod, though there seemed to be a slight downward turn to the corners of his lips. "Your assessment is duly noted."

"Hn," the tortoise snorted, fully comprehending the fact that he had neither agreed nor disagreed to what she had said. "If you are able to remove it, you may have a portion of my shell young inu. However, know that its benefits will be limited for you."

"I am aware of that." he told her, moving closer to inspect her shell.

"Choose carefully," Oshiikame warned, "The strength of my shell is not distributed evenly. The quality of your new armor will be greatly affected by the portion you claim for yourself."

"Armor?" Kagome echoed quietly.

The tortoise seemed to smile with only her eyes. "Of course. What else would he use the shell for?"

Kagome blushed and folded her hands behind her back, an uneasy chuckle escaping her lips. Really, he hadn't told her a thing so she didn't have the slightest idea what he needed the shell for.

Her tension gradually fading, the untrained miko watched as Sesshoumaru leapt onto Oshiikame's shell.

Sharp golden eyes scanning its textured surface, the demon lord carefully studied the shell as it passed beneath his feet. The tortoise was correct. The light sound created by his footfalls, very clearly spoke of varying depths and strengths. He quickly discovered that the shell was thinnest around the edges, and that it became increasingly dense as he neared the center.

Once he had arrived at the shell's highest point, the inu decided that the hexagon shaped section upon which he stood, held the greatest strength and density. This was the piece he wanted. It seemed however, that actually procuring it could be problematic. There did not seem to be any visible groves that would allow him to simply pry it loose, and his sword, as formidable a weapon as it was, would either destroy the tortoise and her shell completely, or would do nothing at all. His father, knowing that he possessed such an impressive weapon, had warned that he would not be able to harm the great creature, so it might be prudent to heed the general's words.

Kneeling, Sesshoumaru placed a palm against the shell's surface, moving it from one side to the other as he considered how to proceed. Initially, he attempted to use his sharp claws together with minute traces of acidic poison to create a divide which would allow him to remove the selected portion. This course yielded no results as the shell remained unaffected, even when a the full potency of his poison was used.

The thoughtful expression he wore was not missed by his traveling companion. Though reluctant to interfere, Kagome wanted to help. He seemed to be having trouble, and Oshiikame, it seemed, was not inclined to offer anything in the way of advice. Thinking it over as she watched the demon lord attempt to use his sword to pry the section of shell from that which surrounded it, the miko gathered her nerve and cautiously approached.

"Oshiikame-sama?" she asked softly. "W-would it be okay if I tried to help?"

The furrowed lids of her enormous eyes lifted to half-mast, her dark, penetrating gaze falling upon the young female. Not entirely comfortable beneath the tortoise's intense scrutiny, Kagome never the less stood tall, just barely repressing the urge to fidget. After a moment, Oshiikame's eyes seemed to smile again and the miko was left with the impression that the great creature had been waiting for her to ask this particular question all along.

"As his charge, it is undoubtedly in your best interest to do so." Oshiikame told her. "If he is willing to accept it, you may lend him your aid."

Nodding, Kagome looked up to see that the demon lord now staring down at her, his expression mildly pensive.

A dubious brow lifted into his bangs and he stared at her for at least a moment before deciding that nothing could be lost by accepting her aid. For the sake of expediency, the demon lord leapt from the tortoise's shell, and before she could register what had happened, the iron band of his right arm was secured about Kagome's waist. The ground was suddenly no longer beneath her feet and then rapid winds whipped a combination of black and silver hair into her eyes.

A split second later, the pair landed on Oshiikame's shell, the slightly dizzy miko quickly being released and forced to steady herself as Sesshoumaru stepped away. It had all happened so quickly that she didn't even have the presence of mind to shoot him an indignant glare for his abrupt handling and apparent reluctance of touching her. She hadn't asked him to pick her up! The least he could have done was let her get her balance before just moving away like that!

Bending at the knees, Kagome knelt and removed an arrow from her quiver. From the right and slightly behind her, Sesshoumaru watched as her small hand tightened on the wooden shaft, her knuckles paling with the effort. The metal tip, sharp and deadly, began to emit an unearthly pink glow, and without meaning to do so, the inu lord made a small noise in the back of his throat. The glow grew brighter and brighter, and he heard the miko's breathing grow swift, yet it remained steady. To his surprise however, just as she was about to rear back and jam the arrowhead into the tough shell, the female paused.

"O-Oshiikame-sama? Are you… are you sure this is okay? I don't want to hurt you." she said, sincerity and traces of concern evident in her small voice.

Light and melodic, a faint chuckle met their ears, in spite of the fact that the tortoise did not seem to move. "Do not worry yourself child," Oshiikame assured her, "This old body can take far more punishment than you could ever hope to dole out."

Surprised by her blunt response, the miko, very absently wondered if she should be offended by what the great creature had just said. Giving herself a light shake, she decided that it wasn't important to dwell on that now. She took a deep breath and again focused on summoning her powers. The arrowhead flared again, brighter this time and Kagome's muscles coiled in preparation. She was so focused on the task at hand that she did not notice the small, retreating steps of her companion who, at the moment, was not feeling entirely comfortable with the excess of power she was currently shedding.

Gritting her teeth, Kagome brought the arrow level with her right shoulder before plunging it into the thin line where the center hexagon met with the segment to her immediate right. The collision of metal against the shell was loud, though there seemed to be no signs of the shell splitting. Infusing more power, Kagome lifted the arrow and performed another strike. This one yielded similar results and so, slightly frustrated, she lifted the arrow a third time. This time, her eyes were narrowed, her heart racing and her determination running high. She lifted the arrow high, and, aiming for the same spot she had hit twice before, she brought the arrow down. But, the force was too much and her hand slipped down the shaft. Before she could stop it, her delicate palm slid over the sharp arrowhead, her skin immediately parting and freeing large, red drops of her blood.

Hissing in pain, the miko snatched her hand away, cradling it against her body as she fell back onto her bottom. Tears saturated her dark lashes, though they did not spill down her cheeks. Her blunt human teeth were bared as her sharp breathing continued.

Sesshoumaru studied her for a moment or two before his attention was drawn back to Oshiikame's shell. He knelt, his eyes narrowing as he surveyed the spot where she had performed her final strike.

"Did it… did it work?" he heard her ask, and he glanced over to see her looking expectedly at the same spot. She was still cradling her hand and he could smell her blood as it continued to seep from the wound.

Turning back, Sesshoumaru moved the now bloodied arrow and was surprised to see what he thought was a thin fault line beneath the glossy red circles of the miko's blood. With careful fingers, he smeared the blood away and immediately discovered that there was indeed a fissure there. Oddly, it did not appear to be the result of force, such as the miko had been attempting. The line was very clean, almost as if the seam had nothing to do with the arrow at all. It was also worthy of note that the line tapered and ended with the smear of Kagome's blood. How… vexing.

Refocusing his attention more fully on the shell, Sesshoumaru sank his claws into the shallow groove, and with immense effort on his part, the segment eventually began to lift. Even with his still formidable strength, it was some time before the selected portion was finally pealed away. Though he did not show it outwardly, Sesshoumaru was both pleased with his accomplishment and also slightly winded. The shell clasped in his right hand, he folded his left arm over the bend of his left leg, closed his eyes, and took a moment to regain his breath.

When he opened them again, he focused on the dark, empty space left behind by the segment's absence. To his surprise, the space did not remain empty for long as a faint green glow precceeded the regeneration of the very same piece. A slight crease in his brow, Sesshoumaru ran his free hand over the new shell, realizing right away that this new shell was not quite as strong as the one he held.

His mission accomplished, the inu lord stood, recalling at the last moment to collect the miko. She was standing now, a small smile on her lips and a sense of accomplishment in her eyes. No words were exchanged and he again wrapped his left arm around her before leaping to the ground. Hissing again as they landed, Kagome tightened her grip on her injured hand. Letting her go to stand on her own, the daiyoukai now focused on the thin rivulets of blood that spilled down the edge of her palm.

"Let me see." he said, and Kagome looked up at him, surprise writ clear on her face.

She hesitated for only a moment before extending a bloody palm to him. "I don't think it's very deep." she told him, though in reality, she had no way of knowing. She had been too afraid to look at it herself.

Sliding back into the water now, Oshiikame's voice reached them again. "Miko, you may feel free to cleanse your injury in my lake. The water holds minor healing properties and should stem much of the bleeding."

Nodding, Kagome turned toward the lake and noticed that now only Oshiikame's head, and the uppermost portion of her shell was visible above the water. She went to the edge of the pool, dipping her hand in the cool water and watched as the blood was washed away. She used her remaining hand to remove the rest and was relieved that the pain was not as severe. When she stood, she noticed that the cut appeared more shallow than it felt. The wound was not healed entirely and her delicate probing caused the bleeding to start up again. Sighing, she was about to dip her hand in the lake again when she noticed a clawed hand extended in her direction.

"Wha--?"

"Your hair tie." the demon lord said and she wondered why he looked somewhat agitated.

Confused, she frowned at him and repeated, "My hair tie?"

"Yes, give it to me."

Still not understanding his request, Kagome nevertheless pulled the white tie from her hair. She immediately handed it over and watched as Sesshoumaru placed the shell on the ground at his feet before accepting it. She was surprised when he, very carefully covered her wound, wrapping the cloth several times before finally tying it off.

Blinking up at him even as he turned away to retrieve his shell, the miko was momentarily speechless. Even though his movements had been quick, clinical, and done with the least amount of skin on skin contact, she was thoroughly surprised that he had taken the time to bandage her wound.

"Th-thank you Sesshoumaru. You… didn't have to do that."

"Do not mention it." he replied brusquely. "Now let us get going."

"R-right. Umm…" she turned back, seeing the smiling eyes of Oshiikame as they sank beneath the waves. "Thank you, Oshiikame-sama."

The tortoise did not answer, merely closed her eyes and sank beneath the waves. Kagome smiled at the spot where she had been before turning and breaking into a light jog to catch up to Sesshoumaru's retreating form.

* * *

I don't know about you guys, but for some reason I really like this story! Hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and please review!


	12. A Pact Behind Closed Eyes

Absolution's Pursuit

A Pact Behind Closed Eyes

* * *

Fatigue settled into Kagome's limbs as she trailed Sesshoumaru down a narrow dirt road. Since retrieving the shell, he seemed to have picked up his pace significantly. By now, the sun was sliding into the west, casting long shadows before and slightly to the right of them, yet they had not taken a break since they'd left Oshiikame's presence.

Kagome kept her complaints to herself and ate her dinner; a few pieces of dried meat on the road as she continued to move behind him. More than ever she'd felt the urge to strike up a conversation with him but had come up short as to what she should say. Sighing quietly, she decided that it probably was just as well. Sesshoumaru didn't seem like much of a conversationalist anyway. He hadn't even bothered to thank her for her role in helping to obtain the shell.

"We will stop here."

Startled by the sound of his voice, the untrained miko looked up, only now noticing that they were no longer on the road. Surrounded by a light density of trees and brush, Kagome briefly marveled at how her preoccupation had so thoroughly distracted her from her surroundings.

"Okay." she muttered, looking for a suitable place to rest. Spotting a thick tuft of grass near the base of a gnarled old tree, the tired female moved forward and all but collapsed into the greenery.

Observing her, it occurred to the demon lord that perhaps he should have allowed her to rest sooner. During the previous trip he had found himself requiring more rest than what normally would have been necessary, but now that he was in possession of the shell, he felt more like himself again. The needs of his human companion had apparently slipped his mind, not to mention the fact that she had neither complained nor requested a break. Now however, it was more than apparent that she was exhausted.

His expression growing mildly pensive, it now occurred to Sesshoumaru that… he really didn't know this girl. Though untrained, she was in possession of immense spiritual powers, had followed his brother and had, ultimately dealt the killing blow against Naraku, but about her personality and character, he knew next to nothing. This was of little consequence really, but it might be wise to again increase the frequency of their breaks. It was admirable that she had not complained, but over exhorting herself on a regular basis would only weaken her already fragile body.

She had served her purpose in acquiring the shell, but still his offer for protection stood firm and could not be rescinded. As long as she chose to remain with him, he was bound by his word not only to allow it, but to keep her safe as well. With that in mind he decided that it probably wouldn't do to ruin her health with recurrent fatigue.

Humans were such troublesome creatures.

'_I'll have to get up and look for firewood soon…' _Kagome thought idly, the tired lids of her eyes beginning to droop. Her dark hair fanned out around her as she lay, very still atop the soft grass, her head cradled in the fold of her right arm. Now that she was fairly comfortable, she found herself remarkably disinclined to get up. Maybe she'd been more tired than she realized.

'_I'll just… rest a little while longer.' _she told herself, and then hid a light yawn behind the cup of her left hand.

"Let me see your injury."

Jolting into a partially upright position, the miko made a less than dignified exclamation which was not quite a shriek, but not exactly a yelp either. The sound of her racing heart thrumming in his ears, the inu lord found himself faintly amused when she backed away from him in disorientation and alarm. Though she was staring right at him, it seemed to take a moment for recognition to set in and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh," she panted, sweeping her sleep mussed hair away from her face. She squinted up into the sky, no doubt taking note that the sun had already set. "I must've dozed off." she announced to no one in particular.

Content for the moment to simply watch as she regained her bearings, Sesshoumaru maintained his position before her in silence. She pulled herself up, absently straightening her clothing and plucking stray pieces of grass from her hair. When she finally finished with her preening, the woman looked up at him, a light flush tinting her cheeks.

"Was there… was there something you wanted?" Kagome asked haltingly, only now realizing how close they were. Her sleep frazzled mind had not been fully focused these last few moments but now that the fog was beginning to clear, she wondered why the daiyoukai was kneeling before her, staring, if not at her, in her general direction.

"Let me see your injury." he instructed again, his features mildly expectant.

"My… oh." she recalled suddenly. "It doesn't really hurt anymore." she told him, lifting her palm and preparing to remove the ribbon he had tied there. He did not answer, opting instead to impatiently sweep her uninjured hand away and carefully slice through the tiny knot with a sharp claw.

Both watched in silence as the silken material began to unravel. When it did not fall away completely, Kagome shot him a questioning look before carefully peeling the rest of the cloth away. Wincing when she got to the final layer, she carefully teased the makeshift bandage from her skin, the dried blood causing it to stick a little. When she was finished, her lips curved in a small smile. "It looks pretty good, I don't think we'll need to bandage it again." she said and traced the thin red line with a finger.

"Hn." the inu lord murmured noncommittally. Truly, her injury was of little concern to him. He had simply required an excuse to wake her so that she could better prepare herself for the night. Without the warmth of a fire, it was probable that she could fall ill, something he was neither able or willing to remedy. It was best that such a thing be prevented to begin with.

Turning, he stood and moved away, intent on resuming his previous position near a large bolder. The miko watched with interest and was faintly surprised to see that he was no longer wearing his armor. She hadn't noticed till now. She continued to observe him as he seated himself, his pelt and armor in a neat pile near an enormous stone. Folding his hands into his oversized sleeves, , he sat partially reclined against the rock, one leg bent at the knee while the other lay flat against the low grass. He seemed to tune her out by allowing his head to fall forward, his thick bangs creating a dark shade that hid his eyes.

Kagome bit her lip, not really certain why she felt mildly uncomfortable. It was almost as if he'd left her completely alone, even though he was just a couple of yards away. She looked down at her hand again, curious as to why he'd bothered to ask about it when it was obvious that he didn't care.

Without warning, the untrained miko felt her heart clench unpleasantly, her eyes stinging with unshed tears. Almost angrily, she turned away from the indifferent daiyoukai, shutting her eyes tightly and refusing to let the tears fall. She was finding it really difficult to be around him when his every move, every gesture seemed to speak, quite clearly of the fact that, in spite of his offer of protection, he cared nothing for her at all. It was to be expected of course, and under different circumstances it might not have even bothered her, but… she had lost everything; everyone she'd ever cared for! The well refused to take her back to her own time; her family, she still didn't think she could bring herself to go back to Miroku, Sango and Shippou, and Inuyasha was…

With effort, she quashed the whimper that was building in the back of her throat and hurriedly scrambled to her feet. _'I don't have time to think about this right now!' _she scolded herself mentally, her voice cracking even in her mind.

"I…" she rasped quietly, stopping to take a deep breath and regain her composure. "I'm going to collect some firewood." she finally managed. "I'll be back soon."

She didn't turn back to him, didn't wait for a response and didn't notice the golden, sidelong glance being leveled upon her as she raced off into the forest, leaving her weapons behind.

* * *

The effort of collecting wood, together with the time alone did much to calm the young miko, but did very little in the way of soothing her melancholy thoughts. It was some time later when she'd returned and unloaded the heavy cash of bark, dried branches and dead grass. She'd been hard at work arranging the pieces when his voice momentarily gave her pause.

"It was unwise to enter the forest unarmed. You will refrain from doing so in the future."

Her eyes narrowing, Kagome had ground her teeth at his icy tone. Instead of making a biting retort however, she'd simply resumed her work, not bothering to answer at all. He could hardly complain, seeing as how he ignored her at least half the time she spoke.

'_Maybe…' _she'd thought, _'Maybe I'd be better off on my own.'_

The idea wasn't as frightening as she'd thought it would be. Her legs folded before her, the miko had sat quietly before the small fire, a box of matches all but forgotten in her limp fingers, her features gilded in gold.

She could… maybe find a shrine or, even one of the nearby villages and apprentice under an older more experienced priestess. It would be nice to gain full control and understanding of her powers. Once she was finished with her training she could take up residence in a new village, make new friends; start a new life.

'_It might be nice,' _she'd thought with a bitter-sweet smile. What did she have to loose? Returning to Miroku, Sango and Shippou would only remind her of Inuyasha, and even though she loved him, she couldn't live her life in the shadow of his memory. Maybe it was selfish of her to stay away from her friends for that reason, but she just knew it would hurt so much more to be around them, knowing their little group of shard hunters would never be complete again. If she was with them, she would always look for him perched in the boughs of the Sacred Tree, reclining on the roof of Kaede's hut, or bounding in from the nearby forest.

It hurt more than anything, but she had to accept that he was truly gone, right along with her chances of returning to her own time through the well. This place… this was her home now and she needed to make the best of it; needed to make a clean break and start anew.

Feeling slightly uplifted with her decision, the miko had reclined in her bed of grass, soon drifting off into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

The first thing the untrained miko from the future became aware of, was her own hand as it stretched before her to carefully push a low hanging branch out of her way. Instinctively moving forward, she continued to pick her way through the brush. She didn't know what it was she was seeking, only that it was just ahead of her and that she needed to press on. Though she paid them little mind, her surroundings seemed vaguely familiar. A few additional paces forward, and she would immediately understand why. Making her way beyond an enormous tree, she stepped into a field of low grass; a familiar clearing sprawling out before her. She gasped quietly when her gaze fell upon the Bone Eater's Well, her focus on the silver-haired figure that rested upon its rim.

"Inu-- ?" she began, but then halted. No, it wasn't Inuyasha, at least not as she knew him. She could not see this demon's face, but she knew he was someone she'd never met before. In addition to the thick bangs that concealed his eyes and the upper portion of his face, he was positioned at such an angle that he was not facing her. Eyes drawing to the silvery spill of hair that cascaded down his back, she noted that it had been gathered into a high que near the top of his head. His clothing, instead of the familiar red she knew was as white as snow, and instead of bare feet, this male wore dark boots. His shoulders were plated in spiky armor, while two fluffy white pelts cascaded down his back, pooling on the ground near his feet.

His attire was extremely reminiscent of Sesshoumaru's, yet… different as well.

"H-hello?" she called tentatively; cautiously.

The demon turned to her then, a small but disarming smile lighting his face. "Hn," he murmured softly, seeming to speak only to himself, "He said you would find me here." He stood, and Kagome gasped, very softly, while inwardly marveling at how tall he was. She was positive she'd never seen this male before, yet there was something so very familiar about him. His hair was silver, but he had thick dark brows… just like Inuyasha. But, he also wore silky white clothing and fluffy white pelts just like Sesshoumaru.

Without consciously thinking to do so, Kagome moved forward, caution melting away in the face of her overwhelming curiosity. Now that she was closer, she could more clearly see the jagged blue markings that graced his otherwise flawless cheeks. A light furrow creasing her brow, she almost, almost reached forward to touch one, but refrained from doing so at the last minute.

"He who?" she asked dazedly, realization warring with the illogicality of what she was seeing.

The male's smile broadened further. "Inuyasha, of course."

Kagome felt faint, her breath leaving her in a rush. Instantly, her mind was bombarded with an array of confusing thoughts, until finally she realized, "I… must be dreaming."

"Indeed you are." the great general affirmed, his voice soft and nonchalant.

It took a moment for her to regain her bearings, but when she finally did so the young miko mentally berated herself for her lacking display of manners. "I'm sorry," she said before executing a respectful bow, "My name is Kagome. It's a pleasure to meet you Taisho-sama."

He gave a curt nod, his smile never fading. "You have done nothing that requires an apology. No doubt, you are merely surprised to see me."

"Well, yes, I… am. Is this… I mean, I just have never…"

"Dreamed of me before?" he finished for her, seeing the confusion etched so clearly upon her pretty face. A dark brow lifted into the shade of his bangs. "You are lovelier than I imagined." he mentioned offhandedly, taking no small delight in how her cheeks flooded with color.

Then, waving off his previous words as if they were of no consequence he went on, "No, I suppose you wouldn't have dreamed of me before now. After all, we've never met before."

Not really knowing what to say, Kagome simply watched as he turned away from her and gazed into the sky. His hands were folded behind him now, and though his expression was largely serene, she was left with the impression that there was something on his mind. "You and Inuyasha, you… were close friends were you not?"

"Yes. We were." she answered with little hesitation. He could hear the sadness in her voice when she spoke of him.

DaiGin looked at her then. "For what it's worth, he wanted to be here in my stead. But, I felt it best that he not do so."

The miko nodded, the sting of tears burning the backs of her eyes. She couldn't be upset that he'd told Inuyasha to stay away. Having just this night made up her mind to move on, she knew that in spite of the pain, it was better this way. Still she couldn't stop her self from asking, "Is he… is he happy?" A stray tear spilled from her eye before she could prevent it.

The general felt his heart clench for her. "He is getting there." he said slowly. Then, very carefully he added, "He is… not alone."

Another tear streamed down her cheek. "So… he and Kikyou… they… they found each other again."

The youkai's lack of response was all the confirmation she needed, and for the briefest of moments Kagome felt jealousy and anger stab her through the heart. The feeling was gone as quickly as it came, leaving in its place the dull ache of loss and the empty void of loneliness.

Her hands fisted tightly at her sides and her dark hair shielding the upper portion of her face, Kagome said nothing further for several moments.

DaiGin could do little more than watch her in silence. He understood that she needed a moment to digest this new information and did not find it necessary to disturb her. Like both of his sons, feminine crying was rather unpleasant for him, so he let her be, knowing that any attempt to comfort her would only bring more tears.

Finally, she lifted an oversized sleeve to her face and wiped away her tears. When she looked up at him, he could see a sort of acceptance in her eyes, even though the pain was still there. This girl, he realized, possessed an inner strength that was truly remarkable. She took a deep steadying breath before folding her hands into her sleeves and standing tall.

"Thank you Taisho-sama," she said, "For being so honest with me. I'm really going to miss him… but, I'm glad he's happy."

"I could do nothing less." he explained patiently, "And there's no need to be so formal," Please, call me DaiGin."

At this she gave him a dubious look, but he merely smiled, turning his attention to the distant mountains and the soft hues of yellow and orange that signaled the start of a new day. "So," he eventually spoke up again, "My eldest, how is he treating you?"

Surprised at the abrupt change of subject, Kagome took a moment to consider her response. "Well, he's… not treating me badly."

"That," the general postulated, "Does not sound very promising. Would you care to elaborate?"

The miko chuckled nervously. "Umm… well, he hardly ever talks to me and a lot of times when I speak to him, he just ignores me. But," she shrugged, "He did bandage my hand when I got hurt."

"Sesshoumaru has never been extremely vocal, so it is best that you not take it personally that he is reluctant to converse with you."

"I can understand that, but, it just kinda makes me uncomfortable to be around him. I never know what he's thinking. And besides," she added with a light blush. "I like to talk."

There was an uneasy pause in which neither of them spoke. "Even though he's the one who offered to protect me, I don't really think he likes having me around."

"Hn. If that is the case, then why did he offer? Did you ask him?"

"Yeah. He told me to consider it a means of atonement." she paused and looked away. "Since he wasn't able to save Inuyasha…"

"I see." he said at last.

Kagome shrugged. "I'm really just a burden to him, so I don't think he'll put up much of a fuss when I tell him I'm leaving." she murmured offhandedly. Her attention fixed on the red chord that threaded her large sleeves, the female missed the lifting of the general's dark brow.

"You do not intend to continue traveling with him?"

She shrugged again. "I was going to, but now I think we'd both be happier if I found some village or a shrine or something."

There was another long pause. "Do you," DaiGin began, his voice seemingly edged with caution. "Do you dislike Sesshoumaru?"

"No!" she said immediately, "I don't have anything against him, I just, don't feel very comfortable around him."

"I am going to be honest with you Kagome, Sesshoumaru can be difficult even at the best of times, but recently he has found himself in… a bit of a situation."

"What kind of situation?"

"A very bad one." he said, and then took a moment to consider what he would say next. "I realize that we have only just met, but I would like to ask a favor of you."

"Of course." the miko responded at once.

DaiGin quirked a brow. "You would agree to grant a favor, even before you know what it is?"

Kagome smiled. "I know it might sound silly, but somehow, I trust you. I don't think you'd ask me to do anything that I couldn't handle."

He couldn't help but to smile at that.

"I want you to give Sesshoumaru a little more time. More than anyone, I realize what a pill he can be, but I want you to stay with him. As I said, he is facing a great difficulty at the moment, and I think your continued presence would be beneficial to him."

Confused as to what would be considered "a great difficulty" for the seemingly all powerful Sesshoumaru she asked, "Is he… in some kind of trouble?"

"As a matter of fact, yes." the general told her. "He is, even now attempting to come up with a solution, but I am fearful that he will not be able to do so on his own."

Recalling his difficulty in speaking with Oshiikame, Kagome mentally conceded that his words were likely true. Considering all that was said, she realized that the great general was not going to give her the specifics of Sesshoumaru's situation. If he'd planned to, he would have done so by now.

Really, it was difficult to imagine that Sesshoumaru was in trouble. He was so incredibly powerful, even more so than Inuyasha. What could possibly be a threat to him? And how could it benefit him for her to stay around?

There were so many questions.

She looked into the general's eyes, still not understanding but ready to stand by her word. She wasn't sure how he'd entered her dream, but if he'd gone through the trouble to do so, there must have been a reason for it. Besides, he hadn't asked much. How could she deny the great and terrible Inu no Taisho such a simple favor.

"Alright," she said resolutely. "I'll stay."

* * *

Blah! I'm not terribly pleased with this chapter, but if nothing else, I accomplished what I set out to do.

Hope you all enjoyed and please review!


	13. A Purposeful Resolve

Absolution's Pursuit

A Purposeful Resolve

* * *

She was staring at him again…

As if he did not notice, from the corner of his eyes, Sesshoumaru continued to move forward, thoroughly ignoring the unreadable look the miko was surreptitiously sending his way. The inner workings of her mind were of no consequence to him of course, but the daiyoukai could not help but wonder what it was the woman was thinking. If her constant surveillance was anything to go by, her thoughts were apparently centered on him. The only question… was why?

He had not noticed any such scrutiny from her until this day, so he could only speculate as to what had happened during the night to bring her attention so fixedly upon him. If this went on for much longer, he would be forced to-

In her earnest to study the male beside her, Kagome nearly tripped over an inconveniently placed tree root. With a light gasp, she quickly regained her footing, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment as she saw Sesshoumaru glance at her from the corner of his eyes. Biting her lower lip, the miko folded her hands into her sleeves and forcibly turned her attention away from him. Instead watching her sandaled feet as they moved through the lush grass, Kagome allowed her mind to wander over the various aspects of her strange dream.

She wondered, quite indistinctly if it had been real. Well, obviously it was not real. It was a dream; but she wondered if the things the Inu-no-Taisho had told her were true. Was that really even him? Had he somehow returned from the world beyond merely to visit her in a dream? A light crease furrowing her brow, the miko considered this. She could not even begin to fathom why she might have been worthy of his interest.

It was all very strange.

Lifting her head to look ahead of her again, the young miko's eyes soon lost focus, the lush greenery of the forest fading to a hazy blur as she remembered the secrets the great inu general had imparted to her.

Was… was Sesshoumaru really in trouble? What kind of trouble could he possibly be in? Was his life in danger? It was perhaps nearing midday now, and she was positive that she had spent at least half the morning staring at him. She tried to do it in such a way as not to be noticed, but on more than one occasion she had been forced to look away when the daiyoukai pinned her with a hard glare. She didn't mean to stare, but she really couldn't help herself! It was ridiculous she knew, but she wanted to see if perhaps she could figure out what the problem was with him. He looked the same as usual…

Tall, proud, his gait leisurely, yet purposeful. He carried his same swords, the same luxurious fluffy pelt. He seemed as calm and indifferent as always, not showing the slightest hint of worry or concern. There was nothing to suggest that he was injured, and as far as she could tell, his youki-

Kagome felt her heart skip a handful of beats, her lips pealing apart as she drew a sharp breath. She had not paid close attention until now but…

'_His youki…'_

"Tell me Kagome, do you truly find me so fascinating?"

Starting, the miko immediately tore her gaze away from him, not realizing until this moment that she had been staring at him yet again. "Umm…" she trailed off, her mind scrambling to come up with a response for him. DaiGin had not discouraged her from revealing the things they had discussed, but, in spite of the fact that she did not know him well, Kagome more than suspected that Sesshoumaru would not want her to know of the peril he was apparently facing. The old general had not given her any specifics, but the fact that Sesshoumaru had been extremely tight-lipped, even to Oshiikame, seemed to speak clearly of the fact that he didn't want anyone to know. Why had DaiGin shared that information with her in the first place?

A long, awkward moment slid between them, its ragged edges dragging themselves along Kagome's now frazzled nerves with each step she took.

"N-no," she finally said, "I was just… I was just thinking."

"Hn," the daiyoukai murmured blandly, "I suspected as much. My question," he glanced down at her then, his eyes narrow and slightly ominous. "Is how your thoughts pertain to this Sesshoumaru? Or did you believe me ignorant of the fact that you have been ogling me for the better part of this day?"

"Ogling?" she cried, her voice edged with incredulity. "OGLING?" she repeated again, her eyes wide and her cheeks flushing with what he could only assume was embarrassment.

"The question," the demon lord cut in before she could make a biting comment about his inflamed ego, "Is how your sudden bout of thoughtfulness pertains to myself."

Clamping her mouth shut lest the insects welcome themselves inside, Kagome quickly began to order her thoughts. She went from worrying about him and his unknown predicament, to being extremely embarrassed, if not faintly offended by the accusation that she had been _ogling_ him, and was then cast back into her previous concern when his question brought back her initial train of thought.

Swallowing dryly, Kagome turned her head to the sky, her gaze falling upon a bunny shaped cloud. It was soft and fluffy looking, though like most cloud formations, the thing it resembled was slightly skewed. It did serve to calm her nerves to look at it though.

"Sesshoumaru," she spoke up finally; impulsively.

Inside her large sleeves, she felt her hands as they nervously began winding around themselves, the tips of her fingers dragging over the smooth backs of the remaining hand before rotating around to repeat the process on the other side. As she considered what she wanted to say, the young priestess very briefly considered the benefits of telling him something other than what was actually on her mind, but in the end her innate senses of honesty and concern won out. She blinked slowly and sighed.

"Sesshoumaru, I… I know you don't really know me all that well, but," she faltered; felt her heart drumming in her chest. "If… if you were ever in some kind… some kind of trouble, you could… you could tell me. I would do whatever I can to help."

Beside her, the daiyoukai's steps slowed. She didn't dare look at him though, opting instead to remained focused on the cloud. It no longer looked like a bunny, but an indistinct blob against the sunny sky.

"Why do you say that?" he drawled, and she could hear a very deliberate undertone in his voice.

Again her mind scrambled for an answer. "Because… because I would," she finally managed, attempting to buy herself some time. "I don't know what a human like me could do to… to help someone like you but… but I would try my best."

He stopped altogether, his hand darting out before she even saw it. Clawed fingers wrapped around the upper portion of the miko's arm and she was instantly halted as well, a light gasp falling from her lips. His movements firm enough to jolt her heart, but not enough to imply a genuine threat, the inu lord turned her so that she was facing him directly.

"You know very well that is not what I meant." he murmured darkly, and Kagome felt an icy chill race down her spine. She saw the marginal narrowing of his eyes before he asked, very decisively, "What do you know?"

Heart racing, the untrained priestess stared up at him, lips parted and chest heaving as she tried in vain to meet her body's increasing need of oxygen.

"N-nothing!" she said when he gave her a slight shake, his patience obviously thinning. "Nothing!" she said again, but when she saw the faintest hint of a sharp fang peeking from between the thinning line of his lips, she quickly amended, "I-I had a dream! Your… your father, he…"

The daiyoukai's eyes narrowed, "What did he tell you?"

Nearly panting for breath, the miko stammered as she spoke, "He just said that you were in trouble! He wouldn't tell me anything more than that!"

She noticed, very faintly a softening in his expression, though he still looked far more menacing than what she was comfortable with.

A quiet moment slipped between them and Kagome's heart began to calm, in spite of the fact that he had made no move to release her. Was he expecting her to say something more?

She licked her dry lips.

"And…" she blurted, suddenly wanting to find a way to placate him but having no idea where to begin.

"And?" the demon prompted, his hand loosening on her arm but not letting her go.

"He… he asked me to… to stay with you." She thought she saw his brow furrow, very faintly as if in confusion and she sighed softly. "I was planning on leaving today. I was going to go and find a village or a shrine or something." she looked away from him then, not wanting to see his face as she continued, "I told him that I didn't think you liked me. That we'd both be better off if I didn't continue traveling with you. But… he asked me to stay." the last part was all but a whisper.

Finally, _finally_ he released her, turning away from her to gaze blankly into the horizon. _'Troublesome old dog!' _the demon lord grumbled mentally. It was not necessary for the miko to know of his plight, yet his father had made it his business to tell her anyway. Feeling slightly defeated, he released an inaudible sigh, vaguely grateful that his blathering father had not disclosed the entirety of his situation.

Behind him, Sesshoumaru heard the miko's small feet as they shifted in the grass. "Is that truly all that he told you?" he asked her.

"Yes!" the miko spoke up, her voice a bit louder than she meant it to be.

For a long, uneasy moment, neither of them spoke until Kagome finally asked, "So… you think it was really him? I mean… it wasn't just a dream?"

She heard him chuckle, low and humorless. "My father's abilities to communicate beyond the grave have been proven on more than one occasion." he stated cryptically before turning back to their previous path and moving forward once again. Jolting slightly at his abrupt retreat, Kagome skipped several paces, hurrying to recover the distance he had so swiftly made between them.

Their recent exchange had been… odd, but at least they were talking! She couldn't come up with a precise reason why, but she was glad for it, because somehow it seemed like a step in the right direction.

"I meant what I said you know," she muttered after a long stretch of silence. "If you're worried that I'll tell someone of your… predicament, then don't. I wouldn't. I just… I'd like to help you… if I can."

Sesshoumaru did not look at her. Deep inside, the daiyoukai was feeling his long standing pride as it battled against the reality of his now precarious situation. Not long ago, he would have immediately balked at the idea that a mere human could be of any use to him. But, the miko, Kagome had already shattered this ideal, as evidenced by the shell he held in his very hand. Yet…

'_Do not accept aid from a human, even in death…'_

His own voice echoed, quite suddenly through his mind and something inside the youkai hardened. That had been the advice he had given Inuyasha some years ago. He had meant it with no small level of vehemence. The boy was hanyou, but it was beneath even him, to accept human aid.

It was strange to find himself thinking of that day. It seemed to have occurred so long ago. So much had transpired since then…

Ignoring the sudden tightness that pressed against his still powerful heart, Sesshoumaru allowed that moment to replay in his mind. He suppressed a bitter chuckle. Now that he was thinking of it, it was this exact same human female who had been attempting to help the hanyou. He frowned at the recollection that, human though she was, her efforts had been far more effective than he would have anticipated.

From the corner of his eyes, he could see her looking at him, her expression soft, faintly determined, earnest and real.

"The matter…" he finally spoke up, tearing his gaze away from her as the edge of the forest parted before them. "Is not your concern."

Though she quite expected a similar response, his words stung, just a little. He was brushing her off she knew, keeping a wall between them, but Kagome found herself strangely motivated to broach it. Maybe if she could keep the lines of communication open between them, he would finally open up to her. The idea was strange, even faintly surreal, and very lofty in its achievability, but what could it hurt to try?

She was tired of the uncomfortable silence that had always stretched so languorously, so uncomfortably between them. His father had asked her to stay with him, and she intended to stand by her word, but if she was going to maintain her tenuous hold on her sanity something was going to have to give! If she could manage to overcome his staunch reticence, maybe… maybe they could become friends. She made a face at the thought. Friendship didn't seem to be the right term to use in reference to Sesshoumaru, but it was the only thing she could think of that would imply a level of camaraderie and mutual trust.

It could be done… right?

She had helped to defeat the most powerful hanyou the world had ever known. Surely she could manage something as simple as this.

Kagome felt a faint smile tugging the corner of her lips.

"But it is my concern." she said quietly, staring up at him as she struggled to keep up with his long strides. His eyes shifted, the chilled amber of his gaze falling upon her. "You… you offered to protect me. So, by helping you… I'd be helping myself as well."

She thought she saw his eyes flicker, but he blinked and looked away from her before she could decide for sure.

He didn't answer, but Kagome was oddly content just the same. There was no doubt in her mind that he'd heard what she said, so… maybe he would consider it. From her dealings with Inuyasha, she suspected that it would not be easy piercing the demon lord's tough outer shell. She was patient enough though.

Kagome looked up to see a meandering trail ahead of them. At its far end stood a large mountain, and her eyes were instantly drawn to the deep crater that was carved into its sloping wall. The billows of smoke that plumed from its entrance told her without a doubt that, at least this part of their journey was nearly over. She had no idea where they would go from here, but it was going to be nice to see a friendly, if not age-worn face again. She wondered how old Totosai was doing. She'd find out soon enough.

The miko looked over at her companion, who, as far as she could tell seemed to be ignoring her. Smiling again, she felt a sense of purpose stir deep within her. The more she thought about it, the more it seemed that the Inu-no-Taisho's reasons for visiting her were more than what he said. She had no idea how she could be of any help to Sesshoumaru, but she was determined to try. Feeling lighter and more content than she had in a long time, Kagome turned back to the path ahead just as a warm summer breeze weaved its delicate tendrils through her hair.

Whether he wanted to admit it or not, it seemed that Sesshoumaru truly needed her help. She wasn't about to let his stupid pride get in the way!

* * *

Yes, I know that this chapter was a loooong time coming, but I sincerely hope it was worth the wait. I am trying to get myself motivated to continue my writings, at least until I finish my last two stories. It hasn't been easy.

Anyway, for those of you reading RoS, I am about halfway finished with the next chapter and will try to get it finished very soon.

Thank for those of you who are still hanging in there with me, thank you so very much! It means more to me than you know!


	14. A Touch of Innocence

Absolution's Pursuit

A Touch of Innocence

* * *

A pair of clawed hands, ancient yet highly skilled, moved in swift, smooth motions over the now gleaming surface of the shell. Already the armor was beginning to take shape, and Sesshoumaru could not help but to marvel, if only in the privacy of his mind, at the obvious skill of the old sword smith. It was rather easy to forget that, in spite of how dim-witted he typically appeared to be, Totosai was a master of his craft, capable of manufacturing weaponry that could both take life and restore it.

Focused entirely upon his work, the ancient elemental breathed a stream of fire on the shell, molding and reshaping it to his own high standards of perfection.

There was little guessing as to why Sesshoumaru would require armor such as this, though the daiyoukai had given no explanation. He could detect it, even now, even here in his home on the mountain, Totosai could feel the change that was gradually occurring around them. Annihilation whispered in the winds, waiting patiently for the moment when it would claim nearly the entirety of youkai kind.

Though aware of what was taking place, he was also aware that, for the moment at least, he would not be affected. As an elemental, Totosai was more powerful than most demon species, but not even he would escape the god's wrath should they decide to be rid of him as well. No, Totosai would likely be spared not because of his own innate power, but some other reason he had yet to determine. He had lived for many, many centuries, yet the will of the gods' continued to be a mystery to him. Admittedly though, he certainly could understand why they might wish to be rid of Sesshoumaru and many other youkai of similar caliber. Most were dangerous and unpredictable creatures! As far as the lesser youkai, they were largely useless, except to serve as fodder to their betters. Typically, they were mindless, corruptible creatures that, in the case of Naraku and others like him, would do the evil biddings of anyone who held the power to sway them.

Now that the hanyou was gone, it seemed that the lesser demons were becoming wilder, more numerous and even more volatile than they had been before. If he were honest with himself, Totosai decided, he would not be terribly displeased to see them gone from this world. Mo-Mo, his flying ox and Myoga were the only living demons with whom he had any real ties these days, and as far as he could tell, both were fairing just as well as he.

Reaching to his immediate right, the old male found his hammer and began a series of light, strategic strikes to the shell, molding it carefully over a semi rounded stone. If he continued undisturbed, his work would be finished before morning.

"Totosai,"

'Figures,' the old demon thought. He looked up from his task just in time to see Sesshoumaru turn away and walk unhurriedly out of the cave entrance, apparently expecting him to follow. Placing the partially formed armor and his oversized hammer on the cave floor, the old demon allowed his large eyes to roam to his far right, where Kagome was curled up on his futon. Her right arm tucked beneath her head and her left hidden in the billowing sleeve of her haori, she was the picture of contentment. It had only been a few moments after their arrival before she had nodded off, and Totosai had been more than surprised to see her with the lord of the west. He decided not to question it though.

He had been further surprised, his eyes growing even larger than usual when the girl, having dozed off while leaning against the unforgiving walls of the cave, was lifted, very carefully in Sesshoumaru's arms and placed upon his futon to sleep. It was obvious that they had traveled some ways, and the human female, just barely into adulthood was probably very tired.

Not for the first time since they'd arrived, Totosai wondered why they were traveling together.

Unfolding his bony legs, he rose to his feet and silently exited the cave. Night had already claimed the land, bringing with it cool breezes and the light, crisp scent of rain. The old demon flexed his fingers and drew in the fresh air, indulging for only a moment before he turned his attention to the one that had summoned him.

Standing a few feet away, Sesshoumaru, unsurprisingly still had his back to him, though he could tell that the inu lord held his head to the sky.

"Well, what is it?" the old demon finally asked when Sesshoumaru did not immediately acknowledge him. For a few additional seconds, the inu lord remained silent, and just as the ancient elemental was about to prompt him again, the demon lord spoke.

"What do you know?" he asked stoically, though there was an unfriendly edge to his voice.

"What are you talking abou-"

"Totosai," the inu all but barked, "Your feigned ignorance is of no use to me. I know that you have remained unaffected by what has recently occurred, but that will by no means save you from my claws should you continue to test my patience."

Though unimpressed by his threat as he knew that the inu would not kill him, at least not before he finished the armor, Totosai none the less decided to talk.

"Our species is soon to be eradicated." he admitted matter-of-factly, his voice raspy at the edges. "I don't know why it hasn't affected me yet but-"

"I already know the fate that awaits our kind," Sesshoumaru said, finally turning to face him. "The shell will only provide a temporary solution." the daiyoukai trailed off, his expression becoming something unreadable. He averted his gaze, a faint crease appearing at his brow as he continued, "Father believes… he believes that I require a means of absolution."

Understanding gleamed in the elemental's large round eyes as gnarled old fingers rose to stroke his bearded chin. "Hmm," he declared knowingly, "and you think I might have some answers as to how you're supposed to achieve this."

Glaring down at him through narrowed eyes, Sesshoumaru studiously repressed the desire to run his claws through Totosai's thin, age-worn neck. Not only did he detest the faint mocking with which the elder male had spoke, but he also had a sneaking suspicion about the fact that the old bat hadn't questioned him when he had mentioned his father. Was he hiding something? Perhaps he knew more than he was saying.

Sesshoumaru flexed his claws, a move that did not go unnoticed by the male who stood along side him.

"Unfortunately," the ancient finally said, looking up at the daiyoukai, his expression unusually serious. "I don't have the answers you're looking for." He paused, ignoring the impatience he detected from the young inu. "You'll have to talk to Bokusenou I'd wager. If anyone can lead you in the right direction, it's him."

Sesshoumaru continued to glare at him, not content with the notion that the elemental might be hiding something from him, but satisfied enough with his answer to let it be.

He had already decided that he would likely consult with Bokusenou regarding this matter. He'd merely taken the opportunity to speak with Totosai because he was already here. The old demon possessed unimaginable knowledge when it came to weaponry, but as far as he could tell, was arguably useless for anything beyond that.

"Hn," the inu lord murmured at last, brushing past the other male as he went back into the cave. Faintly amused with his apparent petulance, Totosai merely pushed up his sleeves and made his way in behind him. He still had a lot of work to do if he wanted to be finished with that armor by morning.

* * *

Her eyes fluttering open, Kagome yawned and stretched, feeling the gentle pull of her muscles as she reemerged into the waking world. Sighing in contentment, she was about to snuggle back down into the thin futon that lay beneath her before she sprang, quite suddenly, into full consciousness. She frowned and began to scan her surroundings, uncertain how she had come to rest where she was. Hadn't she fallen asleep sitting against a wall somewhere?

The untrained miko propped herself up on her elbow, her gaze immediately finding Totosai as he slept directly across from her. Propped against the side of his enormous brown ox, his legs were stretched out before him while his clawed fingers were laced over his stomach. She might have smiled at the picture he made, if not for the fact that his mouth was hanging open rather unflatteringly. The trail of drool that seeped from the corner of his thin lips, together with the loud snoring that she now wondered how she'd slept through, did little to help in the matter.

Kagome grimaced, averting her gaze before she pulled herself into a sitting position and stretched her muscles again. Her arms held high over her head, her sleeves cascaded down her arms as she drew in a deep breath.

She pulled her knees beneath her and turned, gasping in surprise when she saw that Sesshoumaru was sitting just a few feet away from where she had been sleeping. In the dim light of the cave, it was difficult to see whether or not he was awake, though she suspected that he probably was. It was almost hard to imagine that he actually might sleep sometimes.

"So you're finally awake."

His voice was quiet, but Kagome started anyway. He hadn't moved a single inch as he spoke, and so even though she was positive she'd heard him, she found herself still questioning whether or not he was awake.

Cautiously, the miko moved closer, inching toward him on her hands and knees as she watched for any signs that he might not want her to come near him. Seeing nothing of concern, she continued until she was beside him; close enough to touch, but still leaving space so as not to invade what might be his comfort zone.

She sat back on her knees, only now noticing the shiny new armor he wore. Had she been on his right rather than his left, she would not have seen it at all, as his enormous pelt would have blocked it from view. Observing silently, her mind attempted to piece together the way in which it had been fabricated. She noticed that parts of his old armor had been used in the construction of the new. And as far as she could tell, the spiky portions at the top of the breastplate and the part that went over his left shoulder, had been scavenged from the old armor. The breastplate itself however, was clearly crafted from Oshiikame's shell. Before she thought about it, the miko reached forward but then paused, her fingers curling as she slowly withdrew it.

"He finished it," she said softly, her eyes still fixed on its glassy new surface. "Do you mind if I touch it?"

Their eyes met then, and Kagome thought, only for a moment, that she saw a flash of confusion in his. It was gone just as quickly as it came; assuming it had been there in the first place, and he stared at her with that same bland indifference she had years ago attached only to him.

"Why?" he finally asked, and she was surprised to note the genuine curiosity in the undertone of his voice. Maybe he wasn't used to anybody wanting to touch him… or his property for that matter. It seemed likely, as those who were anywhere near him typically found themselves in far too much pain to think of anything so innocuous as wanting to check out his new armor.

Finally she shrugged, dismissing the faint discomfort she felt at his unwavering gaze and answered his question with one of her own. "Why not?"

Frowning in a way that didn't quite speak of malice, the demon lord did not seem to know what to say to this and so Kagome, still watching him for signs of disapproval, reached forward and touched his breastplate. Tentatively at first, she ran her fingers along its smooth surface, marveling at the exquisite craftsmanship.

When he said nothing to dissuade her, the untrained miko became emboldened, running the flat of her palm over the armor's smooth surface, a small smile finding her lips.

As he seemed to no longer hold her attention, Sesshoumaru allowed himself to watch her openly, faintly bemused by the genuine fascination evident on her pretty face. It was no loss of face to admit that the miko was pleasant to look at, he decided absently. In his mind it held no greater weight than the fact that she had black hair. It was simply a part of who she was.

Aside from that, she seemed odd as far as humans went, not that he knew many personally. Though in some ways she seemed very innocent; almost child-like even, the miko called Kagome was very much a young woman. A human female who was even now running her delicate hands, if not over his body, very close to his body, in a way that seemed strangely intimate. He could feel the light pressure of her touch as her palm slid, slowly and smoothly from one side to the other and then back again.

It made him feel… strange. Neither pleasant nor unpleasant, merely odd and slightly out of sorts. For a moment he considered making her stop, but for reasons he could not quite piece together, his resolve to do so was strangely lacking.

"I can feel your power fusing with it," the miko murmured softly, almost as if speaking to herself. She was using both hands now, moving them lightly over the surface as her eyes shone with something he could not readily identify. "I can feel Totosai's and Oshiikame's too, but yours is more prevalent." she trailed off, both of her tiny hands still in motion.

He was going to say something, but somehow it escaped him as the swift, unsolicited vision of Kagome, running her hands not over his armor, but over his bare chest flashed ever so dangerously across his mind. It happened so swiftly, so suddenly that it nearly stole the breath from his lungs, and before even he knew it, he had snagged the miko's left wrist in his hand.

She gasped, her eyes wide and her cheeks slightly flushed as she stared at him. Believing that he might be hurting her, the inu lord loosened his grip, but did not move to release her.

"S-sorry," she breathed, hoping she hadn't offended him. She hadn't meant to molest his armor so thoroughly, she'd just been fascinated by the feel of the different powers as they swirled together beneath its surface. "I just…" she began, scrambling for an explanation, "I've never felt anything like it before."

He stared at her, almost as if attempting to read her thoughts before he finally moved her hand away, placing it carefully in her own lap. He vigilantly ignored the light gasp she emitted when his thumb accidentally brushed her thigh, gritting his teeth as he tried with moderate success to keep his mind free of more unsolicited thoughts.

"Do not trouble yourself," he said at last, in reference to her apology.

He averted his gaze from her, feeling disconcerted and strange and slightly warmer than he had been just moments ago. It was odd that she could affect him in such a way, and he was certain that she didn't even realize it. Troublesome woman.

"How is it? The armor I mean… do you like it?"

Her voice was bright with false cheer, an undercurrent of nerves betraying her. It seemed that his accidental brush of her person had affected her in a similar manner as her touch, indirect as it was, had affected him. The thought made him feel somewhat vindicated. Now perhaps the guileless woman would be more mindful of her actions.

"It is fine," he told her, realizing afterward that he had been a bit short. "I believe it will serve its intended purpose." he added in a more even tone, not quite certain why at this moment he cared about hurting her feelings when he was positive he hadn't before.

She seemed pleased with that, settled back onto her heels and smiled. "That's great!" she announced happily, her faint discomfort already gone. She was quiet for a moment, her eyes moving slowly from one side of the room to the other as she appeared to look for something. "Umm… now what?" she finally asked.

Sesshoumaru looked at her from the corner of his eyes, his distracted mind attempting to discern what she was talking about.

"What?"

She gave him an odd look. "Now what are we going to do?" she wanted to know. "Since you have your armor I don't imagine you plan to stick around in this stuffy old mountain with Totosai do you?"

He scowled. "Obviously not." he told her as he rose to his feet. He began moving toward the cave entrance and Kagome scrambled to her feet and hurried after him. He paused just beneath the craggy archway, the bright spill of sunlight reflecting off his hair and pristine clothing, nearly forcing the miko to shield her eyes as she looked at him. She settled for narrowing them instead.

"I will allow you the time you need to prepare and we will meet at the base of the mountain before mid-morning."

"Oh, okay." she sounded disappointed. "Where are we going?" she asked again, her fingers plucking at the oversized sleeve of her haori.

He didn't look at her, opting instead to keep his gaze fixed on the distant horizon.

"To see Bokusenou." he said at last, and without another word he leapt into the sky, becoming nothing more than a white blur as he vanished from view.

* * *

Alright my lovelies, hope you all enjoyed this chapter, it turned out a lot different than I imagined, but I think guess its okay. Oh, and just an FYI, I would probably would have finished this chapter sooner, had my computer not suddenly DIED on my! Long story, short, I got it fixed and am a happy girl!

Thanks for reading and please review!

Oh, and one final note! For some reason I am having trouble with my page breaks on FFN. I was using the undescore thingy to seperate different scenes, but for some reason its not working anymore. I'm doing what I can to fix it!


	15. A Precarious Inquiry

Absolution's Pursuit

A Precarious Inquiry

* * *

Blood, thick, dark and tinged with a metallic scent, splattered across the ground as it carelessly flung from Sesshoumaru's claws. He breathed deeply and felt the tension he had been previously unaware of melt from his body. Here in the grassy clearing, surrounded by the carcasses of lesser youkai, the daiyoukai felt almost, _almost_ at peace for the first time in many weeks. Perhaps even longer.

His body felt like his own again; no longer weighted as if he were trapped at the bottom of the sea. Hardly thinking of his actions, the inu lord lifted his claws and slowly licked away the remaining blood that clung there. Though his body felt normal again, his mind was not at peace.

He thought of the strange encounter he'd just had with Kagome. He thought of his uncertain future. He thought of his father… and he thought of Inuyasha.

His hand falling limply to his side, the demon lord allowed his mind to wander. He could still remember, almost as if it had just occurred, the day he'd found the hanyou; the very first time he'd set eyes upon him. He had been so small, so young. Sesshoumaru had hated him, detested him for what he was and the love his father had displayed for him, even before he was born, in his willingness to sacrifice his life. It had been foolish, yet Sesshoumaru knew, just knew that his father, if given another chance, would do it all over again.

What had he been thinking? Though he had given his explanations, Sesshoumaru still could not fully understand why it had been so very important to his father to protect the human female called Izayoi and the halfling pup he sired with her; even to the point of throwing his own life away.

'_Hn,' _he decided, a small humorless smile tilting the edge of his lips. It no longer mattered. All three of them were dead now. He wondered though, in a very distant part of his mind, if they had all found one another again in the afterlife. Hadn't his father mentioned something about locating Inuyasha? If that was the case, surely he would have already found his human mate. She had died years ago.

Turning on his heel, Sesshoumaru paid no mind to the trail of carnage he had left in his wake. He had wanted to test his new armor and had succeeded in doing so ten times over. Not long after he'd left Kagome at Totosai's mountain, he'd fortuitously come upon a hoard of demons as they'd been mindlessly rampaging across a dirt road. The fact that he'd intercepted them before they could make it to a bustling human marketplace had been of little consequence as it hadn't been his objective to stop them, merely to test his armor and newly restored strength.

He'd been a bit skeptical about the armor at first, for it was notably lighter than his old one, but the fact that it had taken a direct energy blast from one of the more powerful demons without so much as a single scratch, was enough to put his doubts to rest.

The armor would indeed serve its purpose, and as long as he did not expend massive amounts of his demonic energy, he should retain his full strength long enough to attain whatever absolution he needed to escape the fait that awaited the rest of his species.

Sesshoumaru grasped the hilt of Bakusaiga and narrowed his eyes. He had considered using it against the demons but then had thought better of it, reasoning that for now, it would not be prudent to do so. The blade was capable of unleashing destruction like nothing he'd ever seen, but in order to do so, it fed off his own youki. This of course had not been a problem before, but for the time being his situation was precarious and using the blade was risky, even with the armor. There was always something, the inu lord mused unhappily. Now that he held a proper blade, one befitting a daiyoukai such as he, he was unable to use it for it could very well leave him depleted of demonic energy thereby saving the gods the trouble of doing it themselves. How bothersome.

'_A temporary inconvenience,' _he thought, his eyes narrowing slightly. His power was all he had now and he would do whatever was necessary to keep it.

Slowly, Sesshoumaru waded his way over the bloody, carcass-strewn road and headed back to Totosai's mountain. It was swiftly approaching mid-morning; time to meet with Kagome so that they could be on their way. He didn't look back at the carnage he'd left behind him, but strangely, he found himself pleased that the way to Bokusenou's forest was not in this direction. Somehow, the idea of exposing the young priestess to such gore seemed faintly disquieting, and in a very, very small way, he was content that for the moment, he wouldn't have to.

* * *

Carefully scanning her surroundings, Kagome took a small sigh of relief. She lowered her bow, slowly moving back to Mo-Mo's side and lowering herself to the ground. As Totosai happen to live in a volcanic mountain, she was fortunate enough to find a place to dry her recently laundered clothing. It would have been nice if there had been a spring up here, but instead she had been forced to bath in an icy cold stream, deciding at the last moment to wash her clothes as well. She had managed to find an area that was comfortably secluded and therefore had not felt too discomforted in wearing her white under kimono until she was able to dry her clothing.

Totosai had been good enough to lend her his flying ox, which made traveling much easier and, having returned to the mountain her attention was immediately drawn to an area high up where heated streams of air were escaping through several of the deep craters. Directing the ox to land near one of the smaller vents, the miko smiled in satisfaction as this would serve as her personal feudal era clothes dryer.

It had been surprisingly easy to find a few long sticks with which to fashion a makeshift clothing rack, and so now she simply needed to wait for the oversized clothing to finish drying.

Unfortunately, there seemed to be a lot of demons up here. She had only just settled her clothing in place when the familiar chill of youki skittered down her spine. She'd dove to the ground just in time to avoid a lethal strike by some unknown species of demon, rolling to her left and quickly grabbing her bow. The thing pivoted and doubled back, moving toward her at blinding speeds and she had instinctually swung her bow, not having had a chance to slot an arrow against it. She'd only been slightly surprised when the weapon, glowing a brilliant pink, instantly destroyed the demon, rendering it little more than a pile of glittering ash.

Her breathing swift and slightly erratic, the untrained miko quickly collected her quiver of arrows, seating them on her back as she scanned her surroundings for additional threats. The decision to arm herself, it turned out, had been a wise one as several more demons appeared, seemingly from nowhere, descending from the sky to swoop down on her. It had not been difficult to shoot them out of the sky, but had also been a little bit frightening because she had not done it in so long. Not only that, but when she'd fought against demons in the past, she usually had the added security of having her friends nearby to help. In this case, only Mo-mo was here, but the oversized ox wasn't much help, as it seemed largely unconcerned about the demons that had come after her.

'_Oh well,' _she decided with a sidelong glance at the now dozing ox, at least the demons were low level and easily purified.

Thankfully, it hadn't taken long for her clothes to dry and Kagome wasted no time shrugging back into them. She made sure to keep her weapons nearby just in case more demons decided to approach. The odd thing was that she could feel their presence, tingling just at the edge of her senses, yet they dared not to come closer. Since she had shot those few out of the sky, she supposed that those remaining were afraid to approach her. Still, it made her feel uneasy that they were so close and she was more than happy to be leaving.

As she and the flying ox descended the mountain, the young miko felt a great measure of relief, realizing that the demons hadn't decided to follow her.

Once back in the relative safety of Totosai's… home, Kagome allowed herself to relax, breaking her nightly fast with a few pieces of dried meat. There was still time before she was due to meet with Sesshoumaru, so the priestess took the opportunity to speak with the old sword smith, hoping he would have an explanation as to why the demon lord would need a new armor. She had been hoping that any answer she was able to glean from him would help to explain why the daiyoukai was in trouble. To her surprise, the answers were directly related.

'_No wonder he didn't tell me,' _Kagome thought, the tips of her fingers pressed to her lips as she muffled a gasp of surprise. She had no idea it was something so serious, and in the back of her mind she realized that this must be why there didn't seem to be any demons in her time. The gods had decided to wipe them out. How could she possibly help him with something like this?

Her expression clouded with worry, Kagome thought over this new development, trying and mostly failing to make sense of what Totosai had revealed to her. The fact that neither he, Mo-Mo or Myoga were affected, seemed to suggest to her that Shippou, Jenenji, and other "friendly" demons would not be affected either. Still, the idea that Sesshoumaru was going to… to die, it did not sit well with her, and not just because he was her self appointed protector.

Falling silent as she sorted through her own thoughts, Kagome was all but oblivious to the light scraping sounds as Totosai meticulously sharpened the blade of an exquisitely crafted naginata, one of the many weapons that stood in one of the far corners of his cave.

She wasn't sure how long she'd sat there, but after a time the miko suddenly snapped to, instantly jumping to her feet and moving to the cave entrance. "Oh!," she gasped lightly, "I'm gonna be late! Sesshoumaru should be back any minute now!"

Totosai watched in silence as she quickly gathered her things, returning them to her traveling bag before darting toward the cave entrance.

"Hey!" he called before she could rush past him.

Kagome halted, pivoting just enough to peer at him over her left shoulder. "What is it?" she asked, a hint of apprehension coloring her voice at the intense look he was giving her.

For a moment the old demon held his silence, seeming to ponder something of great importance before he finally rose to his full height, using the naginata to help support him as he stood. "Why…" he trailed off, but then willed himself to press on. "Why are you traveling with Sesshoumaru?"

Totosai did not miss the fall of her shoulders, nor the pallid hue that slowly drained her face of color. She turned to him fully, a heavy sigh escaping her lips and a deep sadness in her eyes. It was truly amazing how quickly her emotions could change.

She stood there in silence, her eyes staring right through him and in that moment the elemental knew that something was terribly wrong. Though his mind was carefully piecing together the scattered bits of evidence, he was not prepared to accept the obvious conclusion of his thoughts. An unpleasant feeling washed over him, sharp and unrelenting, it clawed at his old heart, and even though he could hardly register that there was air in his lungs, the ancient could not prevent himself from asking, "Will you… be going back to Inuyasha?"

Kagome bit her lip, a single tear escaping her eye.

* * *

The priestess was late, Sesshoumaru decided, his disinterested gaze fixed upon the sparse clouds that lined the flawless blue sky. Patience was not a strong point for the daiyoukai, yet he found himself markedly disinclined to venture up the mountain to retrieve her. Somehow it seemed beneath him to do so. Not that standing here and waiting for her was much better. The demon lord scowled.

Folding his hands into his sleeves, he allowed an inaudible sigh, his expression becoming unreadable once more. He thought of Bokusenou. What would the old demon say in regards to his predicament? Would he be able to provide any useful answers?

Sesshoumaru pondered this for a time before finally pushing the thoughts aside. In spite of his impatience to have this situation resolved, he realized that speculation on the matter would do nothing in the way of helping him. He would simply have to wait to see what, if any wisdom Bokusenou would impart to him.

Perhaps the solution would be a simple one.

Behind him, the light rustling of fabric, together with the labored breathing of the young miko became audible, and the inu lord pivoted just enough to glare at her over his shoulder.

Tottering down the mountain as quickly as she could, the female gradually made her way to his side. She looked up at him, her cheeks flushed and a suspiciously bright smile gracing her face. Even he could see that it was forced. She smelled faintly of sadness and tears.

"You are late." he intoned dryly, turning away from her and beginning to walk in the direction of the south.

"S-sorry," she breathed tiredly. "I was just… talking to Totosai."

Sesshoumaru glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, not for the first time taking note of the naginata she now carried. Taller than she, the weapon's long, thin shaft was dark and smooth. The uncovered blade, slightly shorter than the length of Kagome's arm, was intricately designed and slightly curved. The weapon was clearly of high quality, though why she now carried it was a mystery to him. Oddly, it… annoyed him.

"Why do you have that?"

Starting, Kagome immediately roused from her melancholy thoughts and looked up at him. She was about to ask him what he had said, but then she noticed the direction of his gaze. "Oh this?" she asked, turning her attention to the weapon as well. "Totosai gave it to me."

"Why?"

Using the naginata as a crutch to save herself from falling over the large stone she hadn't notice until she nearly tripped over it, the miko recovered nicely and shrugged. "For protection I guess."

Sesshoumaru felt his annoyance spike. Did Totosai not realize that he, Sesshoumaru had taken the charge of protecting the woman?

"I got into a bit of trouble in the mountains, so I guess he thought I needed another weapon, just in case something gets too close and I can't use my bow and arrows."

Sesshoumaru frowned at this, but Kagome didn't notice. She was looking straight ahead, seemingly pleased to have something to talk about, something to take her mind off whatever had been troubling her.

"I don't really know how to use it, but I guess I'd just have to swing it and…"

"You were attacked in the mountains?"

She looked at him. "It wasn't a big deal." she said in a quiet voice, uncertain about the intense look he was giving her. "Just some low level demons. They never even touched me."

For several paces Sesshoumaru did not respond, and soon the dappled shade of treetops fell over them as they entered the forest.

"My apologies. I should have been there." the demon lord said, so quietly she almost didn't hear him. Stunned, Kagome almost, _almost_ asked him to repeat himself, but refrained, her brow creasing as she studied him. He was clearly avoiding her gaze, and somehow, she could tell he was tense and uncomfortable. There was a certain tightness to his jaw, a rigidity in his shoulders that hadn't been there before. She could only guess that he was unused to apologizing and doing so now made him uneasy.

"It… it wasn't a big deal Sesshoumaru. Really. It was just a few demons and I purified them with my arrows."

"Were you not frightened?" he heard himself ask, though he didn't know why it mattered. The important thing was that she had not been harmed.

"Well, I'm always a little afraid when I get attacked," Kagome admitted breathlessly. She was beginning to feel very strange. This conversation with Sesshoumaru was extremely surreal, and just plain… weird. It almost seemed like he cared, in spite of the fact that most of the time, he acted as if she didn't even exist. "But I'm fine." she finally said. "I'm not completely helpless you know."

"That is of no consequence." the inu lord told her. "I offered you my protection, yet I was not there when you were in danger." He looked at her then, his intense gaze ensnaring her as they continued to move forward. "It will not happen again."

Again Kagome felt a strange sensation wash over her. She wanted to say something but her mind was drawing a blank, so instead she just nodded mutely, keeping her eyes on him until he finally turned away and returned his attention to the path ahead.

A slightly tense silence fell between them, each having retreated to their own thoughts. For his part, Sesshoumaru considered the implications of what Kagome had told him. When he had offered his protection to her, there were some things that he truly had not considered. He had not given much thought to the fact that she was a miko and that as such, her life might carry greater worth than that of an ordinary human. Now he was faced with the possibility that his very fate could hinge on her continued safety. The possibility of his own failure in what seemed to be such an uncomplicated task, had not presented itself to him. Clearly, it was going to require more vigilance than he had initially expected.

He glanced at her again, hoping to distract himself from the mild annoyance of his thoughts. "Do you intend to keep that?" he asked, referring to the naginata again.

She didn't return his gaze. "Couldn't hurt." she said distractedly, inadvertently leaving the daiyoukai with the impression that she didn't fully trust him with her safety.

"Hn."

They were silent again for a long while before Kagome tentatively spoke up.

"Sesshoumaru, I… haven't been completely honest with you. I think Totosai gave me this because… I told him what happened to Inuyasha," she trailed off, a sad, thoughtful expression on her face. "He knows that Inuyasha used to look after me so, I guess this was his way of telling me that it's time I start looking after myself." She glanced at him then looked away.

"You know, there's something I've been wanting to ask you," she murmured, and the demon lord felt a twinge of unease at the direction of this conversation. "I know… I know you never liked Inuyasha, so… why did you try to save him?"

* * *

Alright, I know it's been forever and a day since I updated! Hopefully I still have some readers left! Oh, and I promise I'll be getting another chapter of "Remnants" out within the next few days or so, for those of you who are still hanging in there with me! Life has been kinda kicking me in the butt lately so, you know how that goes.

Hope you all enjoyed, and please review!


	16. What Will Come of This?

Absolution's Pursuit

What Will Come of This?

* * *

'_I know… I know you never liked Inuyasha, so… why did you try to save him?'_

The golden gaze of the demon lord became hazy, distant as the woman's words played over and over in his mind.

Kagome stared at him, somehow managing not to stumble as she ignored the path ahead of her in favor of keeping her gaze fixed upon the profile of his face. His steps seemed to slow, just a little; enough so that she didn't have to struggle so much to keep up with his long strides. For several paces he remained silent and she began to suspect that he would simply ignore her. She wouldn't give up though, in spite of the fact that she had no idea how she would convince him to answer her should he prove reluctant to do so.

"Inuyasha," the daiyoukai began slowly, thoughtfully. "In spite of what he was, he was the last of our family line. Since I have yet to sire a son of my own, he was my sole heir. His death was a loss to our clan."

"Oh," the miko murmured quietly. If he bothered to give it any level of consideration, the inu lord would have suspected that he'd detected a note of disappointment in her voice, though why he could not begin to imagine.

Finally turning back to the path ahead of them, the untrained miko frowned in thought. The was answer he'd given was satisfactory, in that it explained why the daiyoukai had attempted to save his younger brother, yet it sat heavily on her delicate heart. Thinking on it now she didn't know why, but the young miko had, very foolishly hoped that somehow the brothers had come to an understanding. That in spite of their tumultuous past, they'd come together in the end, forging a connection made, if not of alliance and camaraderie, then at least one of acceptance and acknowledgement of the shared blood that bound them as brothers. Sadly, it seemed that that hadn't been the case.

But then again, they truly seemed to have hated one another, and really, Sesshoumaru had accepted Inuyasha, in his own detached way. So really, it wasn't so bad. Perhaps it was just her humanity that made her feel that, as brothers they should have held more for one another than disdain, hatred and finally a begrudging acceptance. Was it even fair to compare their bonds to human ones? Did youkai value such things?

"Did you," the priestess spoke up before she gave herself permission to do so, "Did you care about him at all?"

"No," the demon answered immediately, callously and inadvertently driving a spike of pain through his companion's heart.

Then, just as Kagome was prepared to abandon the conversation in favor of making some pointless comment about the weather she heard him say, almost to himself, "I simply preferred him to remain alive. It was not until he died that I fully realized it."

Her heart leaped in her chest, her astonished brown eyes shooting up to look at him. He avoided her gaze, very deliberately and even though his posture remained unchanged, he managed to give her the impression that he'd turned away from her.

"Our relationship was… complicated, and I do not wish to speak of it." he murmured at last, his brow creasing in a discomfited scowl.

She didn't know why, but his unwilling admission made her feel almost giddy, though she wisely refrained from showing it. Kagome had not shared Sesshoumaru's company for very long, but already she'd observed that he, much like Inuyasha, found it extremely difficult, almost painfully so, to admit that he actually cared about anything or anyone. If he bothered to answer her questions at all, he would give the most basic, detached answer he could. But then if she prodded further and he was forced to talk about anything that hinted at an emotion of any kind, the demon lord became visibly discomfited and even somewhat hostile. Well, more hostile than he usually was. Still, within the depths of his iron-clad heart, he'd managed to find something for his brother, something other than shame, disgust and hatred; some value that meant that in his mind, the hanyou was worth saving. The thought brought a happy, melancholic tear to her eye which she quickly dashed away with the back of her hand, a small smile tugging the corner of her lips.

Tension gradually released its tight grip on the demon's shoulders as the agonizingly talkative female beside him quieted, seemingly disinclined to pursue this line of discussion any further. There were more than a few reason why he did not wish to dwell on that particular subject.

Because he considered most creatures beneath him, Sesshoumaru had never carried on conversations such as the ones he found himself entertaining with this woman. Not that she wasn't beneath him, as a human she obviously was, yet he could not treat her as he'd treated any other human he'd encountered in the past. He could not simply dismiss her. Having offered the woman his protection, he realized that, in a way, he was actually accountable to her; even though she had never done anything that should place him in her debt. It had been his own doing of course, though not without good reason. Still it was almost surreal to find himself in this unforeseen, undesired, yet oddly tolerable companionship of a mortal woman. A miko at that! He should wish to be rid of her by now. Not only had she served her purpose, but should she choose to do so, the miko could easily rid the world of his presence with but a single touch. She was a threat, yet he willingly allowed her to stay with him, honoring his promise of protection even though he had no genuine desire to do so.

On the other hand, the demon lord could admit, if only to himself, that he did not abhor the miko's presence. She was talkative and emotional, but she offered him something he had never experienced before. An equal standing with another living being. No, the woman was not his equal, not really, but she was probably as close as anyone would ever come. It was this so called equal ground that drew him to her, even as it simultaneously warded him away. He found it unusually interesting to converse with her, yet he also found himself not knowing precisely how to deal with her. If ever he grew weary of her presence, he could not simply kill her like he could anyone else. Should he, for whatever reason decide to rend her slender throat with his sharp claws, he would very likely seal his own fate, succumbing to the immense purity that even now danced about her unassuming form in rhythmic waves. In all his years he had only encountered one other miko of similar power as the one he now traveled with, and that woman was now dead. No other creature, demon or human could take his life so easily as the one he now protected. How terribly ironic.

"Sesshoumaru," the miko spoke up, interrupting his train of thought. He did not answer her, keeping his eyes on the trail ahead, but his companion pressed on anyway. "I've been wanting to ask you… where's… where's Rin?"

Still clutching the naginata Totosai had gifted her with, the miko struggled to keep up with the male beside her, her breathing slightly labored as she shuffled through the grassy fields, beneath the trees of shaded forests, and into the glades again.

As she waited for a response, Kagome considered what he would say. She hadn't noticed the girl's absence, not right away. The emotional turmoil she'd gone through with the news of Inuyasha's untimely demise had done much to keep her mind occupied. By the time she'd finally thought of the young girl she had occasionally seen traveling with Sesshoumaru, she'd almost expected the daiyoukai to retrieve, or even mention her at some point. Since he had yet to do either, she decided to sate her curiosity by asking.

"She no longer travels with me." the demon lord intoned blandly, though Kagome did not miss the extra breath that escaped with his words; almost as if he had sighed them.

"Oh," she said. Then, ignoring the annoying little voice in the back of her mind that suggested that she might be about to touch upon a sensitive subject she asked, "Why not?"

Sesshoumaru shrugged, ever so faintly. "She began to mature." he stated matter-of-factly. "Her advancing age meant that she required guidance I was unable to provide her."

Quietly, the miko gasped, looking up at him with large eyes. "So, you sent her away because…" she trailed off, clearly understanding but not knowing how exactly to word her response. "I mean… you didn't just get tired of her tagging along with you? You sent her away for her own benefit?"

She heard him scoff quietly, though he gave no indication that he would answer her question.

Rin's presence had never been burdensome to him. Obviously he had never requested that the girl follow him, but she did so anyway, singing her ridiculous songs, weaving flowers into her hair and asking him a million and one questions, most of which he never bothered to answer. She never requested anything of him, and mostly cared for herself. She was obedient and well behaved, aside from the occasional prank or three she would play on Jaken. He hadn't minded that so much, except when the insufferable toad would come running to him expecting intervention.

These things alone would endear the girl to most, but he, Sesshoumaru would have accepted nothing less. He had brought her back from an early demise after all, and since it had been her decision to follow him the least she could do was not make herself more trouble than she was worth.

In the end, it all boiled down to loyalty and trust. The girl was fiercely loyal to him, and trusted the youkai lord like no other. She wholeheartedly believed that if trouble were to happen upon her, her Sesshoumaru-sama would save her. She knew it! And she was right. He protected her because, even without ever asking, she expected him to do so. She trusted and believed with all her heart that he would keep the bad things away. He never questioned it, instead allowing his instinct full reign when it came to her. If Rin screamed, he would find himself running to her, even before his mind would have instructed him to do so.

Strange how such an insignificant little peasant girl could affect the stony, frost-bitten old heart of a daiyoukai so.

He missed her.

As if having read his thoughts, Kagome looked up at him and smiled.

* * *

"Sesshoumaru, are there any villages near this area?"

"No."

"Do you know when we'll be near one?"

"Within a day or two."

"A day or two? I don't know if I'll be able to wait that long! I'm running out of food."

"Woman, you will cease your whining this instant. Are you incapable of hunting your own prey?"

"Me? Hunt? You've got to be kidding! I mean, I can shoot a demon, but I'm no hunter! Besides, I'd never be able to… clean it." Trembling at the idea of cutting up some unknown creature, Kagome grimaced, her little pink tongue peaking from between frowning lips. She looked over to her traveling companion, noticing the disdainful glance he had sent her way.

"Besides," she spoke up in her own defense, "It's not like I have any other weapons. A bow and arrow can only do so much you know." She popped the last piece of dried meat into her mouth, the golden hues of the campfire dancing tirelessly over her face and hair. "And I wasn't whining!" the miko added as an afterthought.

For his part, the daiyoukai did not appear to be listening, his unfocused gazed fixed upon the small fire. The cool breezes of the night caused the flames to flicker and sway as they struggled to maintain their hold on the small pile of wood from which they fed.

Many things drifted through the inu lord's mind, not the least of which was the woman's need for food. She could probably purify a hundred demons with a single arrow, yet she was incapable of procuring her own food. Truly, she was the strangest creature he had ever met. She was simultaneously powerful, and weak, both repelling and intriguing, immensely exasperating and yet oddly alluring.

Even now, as his species had begun to fade from this world, he noted that there were demons all around this place. There was no doubt that they were drawn, and yet warded away by the young priestess called Kagome. He could sense them closing in and then drifting away as they traveled together. It seemed that the woman sensed them as well, for she would occasionally glance over her shoulders, her eyes narrowing as her fingers tightened around the weapon Totosai had given her. She no longer carried the Shikon no tama, so it was a bit of a mystery as to why they seemed so drawn to her, lingering close enough to make their presence known, but not so close as to strike. It did not matter he supposed. The fact was that they were there, watching, waiting for the opportunity to strike; the moment she would drop her guard.

Or, when he would drop his.

He wouldn't though.

Sighing, Kagome inadvertently caught Sesshoumaru's attention, his amber gaze settling upon her form over the small space that separated them. Leaning against a the great, mossy trunk of a large tree, she stared listlessly into the sky. Beneath the oversized sleeves of her haori, the priestess was running her hands up and down the length of her arms as if to warm herself against the cool night air.

Clearly fatigued, she blinked languidly, the motions of her hands slowing as she began to rest more fully against the tree. Eventually, she closed her eyes, sighing again as she stilled and drifted into nothingness.

It was then that the daiyoukai began to consider just how vulnerable she truly was. In sleep, she was completely defenseless. If he were to abandon her now, the youkai would swoop down on her before she would have a chance to defend herself. They would rip her to pieces; devour her before she could ever know what had happened.

The thought held an unpleasantness he was at a loss to identify. Perhaps it had to do with the very real, yet intangible tether that anchored him to her. During this time, while she was resting, he might have considered going off on his own; taking some time for himself to clear his thoughts. But he could not. If he left her, she would surely die and her blood would be on his hands.

He should resent her for it, should wish to sever the strange ties of honor and begrudging companionship that were blossoming between them, yet he could not find it within himself to do so. He held no affection in his heart for her, yet he did not detest her; did not wish to see her harmed. In spite of the immense power she held at her command, she was a gentle, delicate creature, one who stirred something in those she came in contact with. It endeared her to them, and even though he fought against it each day he shared her presence, the pull of her intriguing, unique personality tugged at him; it's beguiling tendrils coiling themselves around his mind and body.

Perhaps it was better that he leave her after all. What would happen if things continued this way?

Frowning, Sesshoumaru decided to abandon this train of thought. The miko was of no great concern at the moment. He needed to focus on the task ahead of him. Preventing the loss of his youkai power is what he had set out to do, and nothing would stand in the way of that objective. He would not grow weak and perish as a mortal! He would escape the fate that awaited the rest of his kind. Right now, that was the only thing that mattered!

And yet…

The warm weight of something soft and furry pooled across her body, and Kagome stirred groggily, her fingers instinctively curling into the fur. When she opened her eyes, she was only slightly startled to see Sesshoumaru kneeling over her, the fluffy pelt he always wore missing from his shoulder.

"What," she began, her voice a breathy whisper, "What are you…?"

"Be quiet." the demon lord intoned softly. Slowly, carefully, he tucked the fur beneath her chin, ensuring himself that she was fully protected against the cold.

Though she could barely keep her eyes open, Kagome stared up at him, watching as he in turn stared down at her. It seemed that there was something on his mind, though she could not begin to imagine what.

"Go to sleep." he said suddenly, quietly, and then he rose and moved away from her.

Nodding her ascent to the demon who was no longer there, the priestess closed her eyes and drifted away.

* * *

Mistress Sianna, she LIVES! 0.0'

I won't even bother making excuses about why this chapter is so disgustingly, inexcusably late! Life happens, ya know. Anyway, before someone asks, (and I KNOW someone will) "Remnants of the Spider" is not dead! Having said that, I'm not sure when I'll get the update posted, but I'll get to it okay?

TTFN!


	17. I Won't Let You Go

Absolution's Pursuit

I Won't Let You Go

* * *

In spite of his resolve not to become overly concerned with the miko called Kagome, Sesshoumaru found her capturing his thoughts more and more. Sometimes they were small, fleeting thoughts, such as the strange dialect she occasionally used; or the brief flashes of curiosity he would experience when she would blush heavily, looking embarrassed before excusing herself for some "alone time" in the woods.

Then there were times when she would stare off into space, appearing thoughtful or troubled, and he would find himself curious as to what she might be thinking.

At times, she was standoffish toward him.

He hadn't noticed it at first, hadn't really cared. But, when their journey had taken them through a small human village a day or two ago, she had been friendly and unhesitant when speaking to the villagers there, almost as if she already knew them. She had worn a cheerful smile, helped an old woman with a heavy sack of rice, and waved goodbye to a gaggle of laughing children as they departed. The humans, normally wary of anything youkai, had hardly batted an eye at him. He hadn't minded that so much.

When he had considered the young miko's interaction with the humans, he'd initially concluded that the woman simply felt more comfortable speaking with those of her own kind. But then he recalled that she had spoken in the same carefree, lighthearted manner with Totosai.

Of course there were times when she would, seemingly forget to keep her distance with him, like the time when she had touched his armor at Totosai's mountain. There were other times when she would speak with him as she would any other, but then she would trail off, becoming distant again and sending the occasional wary glance in his direction.

If he had ever given any thought to it, Sesshoumaru would have guessed that he'd prefer her reticence. She did not talk excessively, drowning him in a sea of useless words. She wasn't constantly whining about her fatigue or spewing melancholic thoughts about how she missed her friends… and Inuyasha. She rarely complained, even when he could sense that she was bored, tired or unhappy.

Yet, he could always detect a level of… unrest, deep within himself, when the girl would close herself off to him. If, the daiyoukai decided, he were forced to explain this unanticipated reaction, he would guess it had to do with the inherent tedium of traveling. Listening to the girl's chattering voice, however trivial the content of her discussion, would at the very least allow him a reprieve from his own dismal musings.

Glancing at her from the corner of his eyes, Sesshoumaru took in the serene, yet slightly discontented expression the girl now wore. Her lower lip held softly between her blunt human teeth, she walked leisurely at his side, her eyes glassy and distant as if her mind were a thousand miles away. What was she thinking?

Why, without even trying… did she intrigue him so?

"We will rest here." Sesshoumaru said suddenly, jolting his companion from her spiraling thoughts.

"Oh," she muttered distractedly, scanning her surroundings to see that they'd arrived in a small glade. Sparsely surrounded by trees and the occasional flowering shrub, the area was peaceful and quiet, the lulling calls of unseen birds adding to its idyllic tranquility. The air was so clean here, the miko thought as she slowed to a stop, dropping her traveling pack into the lush grass. It had always been one of her favorite things about this time. Of course she'd miss the scents of her own time when she stayed away too long, not to mention the fast food, the indoor pluming, the electricity… the people.

Kagome smiled wanly before lowering herself to the ground, placing her large weapon to her right as she crossed her legs and plopped her hands into her lap.

She wondered how long it would be before they arrived at Bokusenou's forest. What would happen once they got there? What would become of Sesshoumaru? Would the old tree youkai be able to help him, or at the very least, point him in the direction of someone who could? How was this all going to play out, and what…what was going to happen to her when this was all said and done?

In spite of her promise to DaiGin, Kagome found herself wondering if it would really be possible for her to remain in Sesshoumaru's presence for very much longer. He was… well, quite frankly, he simply made a very poor traveling companion; at least in her opinion. Optimistically, she had dared to hope that he'd eventually warm up to her, at least a little, but most of her attempts to talk to him were met with short, direct responses, if in fact the daiyoukai deigned to say anything at all. Unlike every other person or youkai she had ever met, she found it extremely difficult to connect with him. Half of the time he was completely emotionless, and the other half he seemed on the brink of killing something.

'_Although, he did let me borrow his pelt.' the miko remembered suddenly. Her cheeks flushing slightly, the miko recalled the night when Sesshoumaru had carefully tucked the thick fur around her. That had been pretty nice of him. _

Actually, he had done a number of things that, considering how stoic he always seemed, were really considerate. If only he were a better conversationalist, she thought with a sigh.

She'd been so determined to befriend him, but the challenge of doing so turned out to be more than she'd imagined. Silence didn't seem to bother him at all. In fact he seemed to prefer it. It was difficult to think of anything to say to the inu lord, as he didn't seem terribly interested in anything she had to say, nor did he seem eager to tell her anything about himself. After all, he wouldn't even tell her why they were going to see Bokusenou. Though when she thought about it, it seemed likely that he wasn't sure about that himself.

The untrained miko glanced over at him and was surprised to see that he was staring at her. Suppressing a gasp as best she could, Kagome attempted to think of something to say. Before she could do so however, she heard the daiyoukai ask, "What are you thinking of?"

"Wha-" she began, her mind attempting to recapture its train of thought. "Oh, um, its nothing you'd be interested in, I just…"

"While that may be true," the youkai cut in blandly, "I still expect you to answer my questions."

Huffing indignantly, Kagome folded her arms over her chest and turned away from him. _'What a jerk!' _she thought, scowling as his words replayed themselves in her mind. "I don't have to answer to you Sesshoumaru! I'm not one of your subjects! Besides, why'd you ask if you weren't interested!"

"Why indeed…?" he murmured noncommittally, his voice edged with something like mischief.

Kagome turned to glare at him over her shoulder and was surprised to see the faint smirk that tilted the edge of his lips. If she didn't know any better, she'd have sworn the daiyoukai had been teasing her just now. Not only that but it seemed like he'd gleaned a bit of amusement in doing so.

Frowning, Kagome tried to make sense of the exchange in her mind. He'd never teased her before. Sure she'd witnessed him toss snide, cutting remarks at Inuyasha and others, but this was different. It was as if he was trying to get a rise out of her or something.

Deciding to simply go with… whatever this was, she brushed her thoughts aside for the moment, unfolded her arms and turned back to her previous position. "Well if you must know," she said, "I was thinking about you."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah," she admitted freely, ignoring the trace of warning in his voice. "I think," she began, taking a moment to order her thoughts. "I think it would be nice if we… talked a little more. You know, tried to get to know one another."

The look he gave her wasn't' terribly encouraging, but the miko pressed on anyway. "It occurred to me just now that, maybe you haven't had very many friends in your life. Maybe you never wanted any." she added softly.

Nervously, the priestess averted her gaze, her fingers plucking at one of the long blades of grass that had sprawled itself over the bend of her knee. "But," she began again, daring a peek at him from the corner of her eyes. "It might not hurt to have just one."

"Hn," the demon lord huffed lightly. "Don't be ridiculous. This Sesshoumaru has no need for-"

Kagome sighed loudly, cutting him off before he could finish. "Yeah, yeah, I know you don't _need_ me to be your friend Sesshoumaru. But since we're traveling together, it'd be nice if we could at least try, you know. I mean, what do you have to lose?"

Sesshoumaru did not answer her, but the miko did not miss the thoughtful look in his eyes before he scowled and turned away.

* * *

'_Stupid grass stains!' Kagome grumbled mentally. During their rest periods, the miko had began using the free time to practice with her naginata. She'd quickly discovered that she could infuse her powers into it, igniting the blade in an iridescent pink glow as it sliced through the air around her. It looked pretty cool if she did say so herself, and would definitely come in handy for fighting demons._

Of course she'd never had any formal training with the weapon, but that didn't mean she couldn't practice on her own. Though it was noticeably taller than she, the naginata was light and fairly easy to maneuver. It cut through the air with ease, though keeping herself balanced while she wielded it was something she still needed to work on.

Gasping as her clothing nearly slipped from her fingers, the miko returned her focus to the task at hand. Dressed in her damp, white under kimono, Kagome scrubbed her hakama in the shallow waters of a stream. A short time earlier, she'd waded in a few feet and seated herself on a large boulder. The swiftly moving waters would not have been her first choice in which to wash her clothing, but the area was secluded enough and the water was clean, clear and most importantly, available! The miko and her traveling companion hadn't come upon a body of water suitable for the task of laundering her clothes in the past few days, so she felt it best to take advantage while she could.

They were getting closer to their destination. According to Sesshoumaru, they would arrive at Bokusenou's forest some time tomorrow. Even though it was the demon lord who was seeking out the counsel of the ancient youkai, the prospect filled her with a faint sense of worry. She didn't know Bokusenou, had in fact, only heard traces of information about the old tree demon, but she worried that he might not have the answers Sesshoumaru was looking for.

During the time she had spent in his presence, the miko had begun piecing together the tiny tidbits of information that the inu lord tried to keep from her. She was a miko after all… well sort of. She could detect demonic auras at any rate, and all around her she could feel the youkai that trailed them during the day and night. Each day, they grew weaker and weaker, and many had already died off. What was frightening about this, was the fact that the ones that remained were ten times stronger than the ones that had perished. At the rate things were going, it would only be a matter of time before they stopped hiding in the shadows and attacked!

Having thought it over one sleepless night, the miko had concluded that the youkai most probably were after her. She had, after all, absorbed a great deal of power when she'd destroyed the Shikon no Tama. Even though the jewel no longer existed in it's original form, much of it's power continued to exist within her. It was easy to guess that the youkai desired this power for themselves, yet they dared not draw too close, fearing either purification or the daiyoukai who constantly remained by her side.

Sesshoumaru's youki had changed as well. The new armor he wore seemed to keep it fairly steady, but she could tell that he wasn't as powerful as he used to be. Whatever was happening to all the other youkai… it was happening to him too.

Sesshoumaru was… dying.

Well, maybe not now because of the armor, but how long would that hold out? The thought weighed heavily upon her heart. Maybe Bokusenou would be able to help after all.

She sure hoped so.

Pulling her mind away from her melancholy thoughts, the miko gave herself a light shake, and held her hakama up for inspection. The grass stain was mostly gone, though a tiny smudge of green remained. "Oh forget it." she muttered quietly. She stood and began wringing the water from her clothing as best she could. When she was satisfied, she turned and began heading back toward the shore. Unfortunately, the untrained miko did not notice a pointy stone beneath the water until she stepped on it. Crying out, she quickly pulled her injured foot away, overbalanced, and fell into the water.

The rushing waters pushed her over, and over again, ignoring her feeble attempts to find purchase on the many stones that pebbled the stream floor. Water rushed over her head causing rivulets of black, water logged tresses to fall into her eyes and mouth. She couldn't see, could hardly keep her head above the waves, and could not seem to grab hold of something to keep herself from washing further and further down the stream.

The water was picking up speed. Her racing heart drummed in her chest as she continued to struggle against the relentless tide. Arms and legs flailed uselessly in and out of the water as blind panic consumed her. She managed to cry out again, her voice garbled with water before a violent wave pushed her under. The back of her head was thrust against a stone, and the miko instantly went still, her limp body left to the mercy of the rushing waves.

* * *

The first thing Kagome became aware of, was warm, moist air rushing into her lungs and something covering her mouth. She felt herself convulse violently as she pushed something, or someone away from her and began to cough. She rolled onto her side where she continued to cough uncontrollably, expelling warm water into the soft grass. She clutched the lapels of her kimono just above her racing heart, her mouth opened wide as she greedily took in much needed air. Frightened and disoriented, the priestess tried in vain to understand what had happened.

"Kagome…"

Turning toward the sound of her name, the miko calmed immediately. Her gaze was met by none other than Sesshoumaru. Silver, water logged tresses clung to his brow as thin rivulets streamed down his face. His eyes were slightly wider than usual, his lips parted just a little as he stared at her.

Suddenly, it all came back to her; the stream, the rushing waters, and then it had all went black. She'd nearly drowned, and apparently… Sesshoumaru had saved her! Irrationally, she felt warm tears well up in her eyes.

"I'm so… I'm so Sorry Sesshoumaru! I-I hurt my foot and I slipped! I didn't mean to…" she gasped, feeling weak and stupid for having put him through the trouble. "Look at your clothes! They're all wet! They'll be ruined!"

"Kagome." the inu lord spoke again, attempting to break into her befuddled ramblings.

She only continued to cry, her words becoming more and more muddled as her emotions began to consume her. Grasping her by the shoulders, Sesshoumaru gave her a light jolt, attempting and failing to gain her attention.

"I didn't mean to cause you so much trouble!" she was saying. "I'm supposed to be trying to help you but I'm not! Not like this! I should have been more careful!"

The demon lord did not understand what was happening with the girl. She was alive, she was safe. Why was she behaving this way? At a loss for what else to do, the daiyoukai pulled her to him, his powerful arms enveloping her tiny form. The miko gasped and instantly went still. Then slowly, almost as if she feared his reaction, Kagome snaked her arms around his waist. Tears continued to stream down her face, her lower lip trembling lightly as she began to calm down.

"You saved my life Sesshoumaru." she said at last.

"I offered you my protection, did I not?"

"Well yeah, but…" and then suddenly Kagome became aware of a strange sensation upon her lips, a feeling she hadn't noticed before. She looked up at him, though he continued to stare listlessly at some indistinct place beyond were they sat in the moist grass.

"How did you… what did you do?" she asked, almost afraid of what he would say.

"You required air." he answered blandly, softly.

Closing her eyes, Kagome was immediately greeted by an image of Sesshoumaru leaning over her, his lips pressed against hers.

'_He kissed me!' she thought almost giddily. 'Sesshoumaru actually kissed me! Well, not really, but pretty close!' She smiled, feeling strange and surreal and only slightly guilty when she thought, 'Too bad I missed it!' _

Absently, she wondered how he knew to do that. Well, it didn't really matter she supposed. He'd apparently gone to the trouble of pulling her waterlogged body from the stream, before breathing precious air into her lungs. She slowly reached up, her fingers finding a lump on the back of her head. She winced, and attempted to pull away. Sesshoumaru made no move to release her.

"I think," she began timidly, "I think you can let me go now."

He was silent for a long time. "No." he finally told her, pulling her more securely against his own warm, hard body.

"O-kay, um… why?" she wanted to know, her voice quiet and slightly breathless.

"The night grows cold. You will become ill."

"We could… always build a fire."

The daiyoukai didn't seem to have an answer to that.

The miko had nearly died today. He could still remember the sound of her panicked cries as the rushing waters forced her down the stream. When he'd seen her, he'd thought she was already dead. A sense of urgency had shook him to his core, and without thought he'd dove into the water to retrieve her.

She wasn't breathing, so he had breathed air into her. Never before had he felt so compelled to aid a human being, or any one for that matter! And so, Sesshoumaru had pinched her nose, pressed his lips to hers, and forced air into her body. He could not explain, even to himself, why he'd been so determined to bring her back, nor why he'd been so elated when she awoke. It was almost frightening.

He'd tried to ignore these strange feelings, tried to tell himself that he'd embraced her only to silence her senseless rambling, but now… now he could not summon the will to let her go.

Feeling tired and defeated and _relieved_, the inu lord sighed softly into the cool night air. Careful of her injury, he threaded his fingers through her hair as he gently coaxed her to rest her head against the softness of his pelt.

"Rest miko."

* * *

Yes, it has been a long, LONG time since I updated. I really hope this chapter came together okay. I started the beginning months ago, and even though I re-read it… kinda, I just don't know how well it all flows together. Anyway, I shouldn't have that trouble with the next chapter because I'm hoping to finish this story pretty soon. I'm thinking 3-4 more chapters at the most.

Well, hope you all enjoyed this latest installment!

TTFN!


	18. Bokusenou's Forest

Absolution's Pursuit

Bokusenou's Forest

* * *

The first wisps of dawn found the odd pair, untrained miko and inu youkai, in a small valley near the stream. The morning breeze gently stirred the flowers and grasses that surrounded them, as the first rays of sunlight began to chase away the chill of the previous night.

Sesshoumaru was the first to greet the day, his eyes opening gradually as he roused from the light doze to which he'd surrendered some time ago. As the world came more sharply into focus, he registered the warm body pressed tightly against him. Her breathing was soft and steady, her dark tresses woven between his fingers.

The woman was thinly dressed, damp and sleeping contentedly in his arms... in his lap no less.

The daiyoukai was acutely aware of how intimate their current position appeared, but simply could not find it within himself to care. Intellectually he knew it should feel wrong, objectionable on so many levels, yet it seemed strangely natural. So much so, that even now he did not find it necessary to put her down.

Her scent was intermingled with his…

She began to stir, and the inu looked down on her, his focus centered on her face. He found himself rather curious to see how she'd react to waking in his arms.

Rising into the conscious world once again, Kagome attempted to stretch her muscles but found her movements severely hampered. _'Wha-' _she wondered vaguely, her tired eyes slowly peeling open. She looked up, her heart skipping a handful of beats when she found a pair of narrow golden eyes staring down at her.

"H-hi!" she said nervously, blurting out the first thing that came to mind. She'd spoke quite a bit louder than she'd intended, which in turn jolted her more fully into consciousness. This of course turned out to be far more interesting, and at least somewhat more awkward than the previous times she'd awakened in Sesshoumaru's presence.

For one thing, she was graced with the opportunity to observe him much more closely than usual. He looked… almost curious as he stared down at her; as if he were expecting something from her, though she had no idea what. For a moment, she couldn't, for the life of her fathom why she found herself waking in Sesshoumaru's arms, then, in a flash, she remembered icy waves rushing over her head. The memory took her breath away.

'_That's right' _she thought, _'Sesshoumaru saved me. I almost drowned_.'

She wanted to say something to him, to thank him for saving her life, to tell him-

"Ow!" she cried suddenly, her right hand moving toward the small lump at the back of her head. Oddly, she hadn't noticed the pain until now.

"No." she heard him say, his hand grasping her wrist before she could touch the aching spot. When she turned her puzzled gaze upon him he quietly answered her unspoken question. "You will exacerbate your injury."

"I bumped my head?" she asked needlessly, the pain and his words telling her what she'd apparently forgotten.

For a moment she just sat there, her mind clouded with confusion, jumbled, half-formed thoughts, and an overall sense that something wasn't quite right. Whatever it was, not only could she not figure it out, but even if she could, she doubted she'd find the resolve to do anything about it anyway.

After giving a light shrug, she turned her attention back to her apparent savior. "Thank you..." the miko said softly, a small, nervous smile gracing her lips. "Thank you for saving me."

"I offered you my protection." he said almost tonelessly. "I could do nothing less."

"Well," she smiled again, fighting the urge to rub the aching lump on her head, "I'm still grateful for your help. I've really got to be more careful though."

The inu lord didn't seem to have anything to say to that. Instead, he drew a deep breath, his gaze shifting somewhere over her head. It was around this time that Kagome became more acutely aware that she was still wrapped, rather securely, in his arms. The sensation was odd to say the least, and she surreptitiously gazed between herself and him, taking stock of how close they really were. She was actually seated in his lap, wearing only her under kimono, with her bare legs draped over the covered silk of his. _'If someone were to see us like this,_' she mused, _'there's a slight chance that they just might get the wrong idea!' _The thought brought both a smile and a light blush to her face, which she hid by turning her face away from him. Though she was beginning to grasp the surreal and flat out weirdness of her current situation, the miko just couldn't manage to conjure the feelings of embarrassment and maidenly encroachment that should have come with it. Though neither of them seemed to be acknowledging it, an invisible line of intimacy had definitely been crossed here.

Exhaling slowly, Kagome decided not to worry about it. Apparently she had slept like this the whole night, so what was the point of throwing a hissy fit over it now?

Besides, Sesshoumaru didn't seem too bothered by it.

In fact, he seemed… so unbothered by it, that even though there was really no reason to continue doing so, he was still holding her. She wondered why.

'_I should say something.' _the miko thought sensibly, though the idea of getting up didn't really appeal to her at the moment. The morning hadn't quite warmed up yet, and she'd definitely feel it if she were to suddenly lose the no doubt rarely bestowed gift of his body heat.

She felt herself repress another smile. Sharing body heat with Sesshoumaru, the Great and Terrible Killing Perfection himself. The idea was both outlandish and ridiculous, and yet here she was.

'_It doesn't mean anything.' _the miko thought, not really sure why she suddenly felt the need to rationalize. 'He did offer to protect me. I'm sure he was just trying to keep me from catching cold during the night. And here I am taking advantage of his thoughtfulness.' Well, knowing Sesshoumaru, his decision was probably something less sentimental, and more cold hard logic. Either way, it worked to her own benefit. She should get up. Cradling a weak, pathetic human in his arms all night couldn't have been pleasant for the proud, stoic demon lord. She rolled her eyes at the thought. Besides, she found that she'd rather decide on her own instead of having him toss her out of his arms like yesterday's garbage, something he was bound to do very soon if she didn't remove herself first.

"Well," she announced suddenly, her features needlessly cheery. "Thanks again… for well, everything!"

And with that, she began to move, preparing to lift herself from the cradle of his arms and body. Only, he made no noticeable effort to release her. When she noticed the resistance, Kagome looked up at him, gasping softly when her eyes locked with his. "I should… get ready to…" she trailed off, her train of thought leaving the station without her when she saw the intense look he seemed to be giving her.

There was no way to describe it really. It wasn't his normal, icy stoicism, and it wasn't quite boredom either. There was, a slight heaviness to his eyelids, and something shimmering in their golden depths. It was, both oddly familiar, yet entirely foreign. Distantly, she thought she felt his fingers convulse lightly against her ribs.

Then, he blinked and the trance was broken. His normal, stoic façade snapped back into place and he gradually released her. She stood slowly, wondering what, if anything just happened between them.

* * *

They were closing in on Bokusenou's forest now. The daiyoukai had assured her that they would arrive no later than dusk today. Though ordinarily, she might have been excited about the prospect of meeting a 2,000 year old magnolia tree youkai, Kagome found that she wasn't really sure how she felt about arriving at their destination, or at least this part of it. Really, she was having trouble deciding how she felt about… pretty much everything.

It all started with the morning she'd awakened in Sesshoumaru's arms.

The miko stole a glance at her companion.

If anything, she might have expected things to become awkward between them after that day, but, that wasn't exactly the case. Feeling a faint blush rise to her cheeks, Kagome recalled a few memorable moments that had transpired since then. Maybe she was imagining it, or making a bigger deal of it than it really was, but since that day it seemed that Sesshoumaru was going out of his way to be near her.

That same day, he'd brought her a new kimono and hakama, seeing as how she'd lost her original clothing in the river. When he'd handed the parcel over to her, it seemed that he'd deliberately touched her hands, his fingers lingering along her wrists, and down the backs of her hands just a moment longer than was necessary.

She'd looked up at him, her cheeks heavily flushed. Not surprisingly, he didn't say a word, just stared down at her, that strange look in his eyes again. It was as if he _wanted _something from her, yet he would never say what it was. She thought he'd smirked before turning away and leaving her to get dressed.

That night, she'd built a campfire, which, as she understood, would keep away animals and most youkai, yet the daiyoukai insisted that she sleep near to him.

"You want me to sleep here?" she'd asked, pointing dubiously to the makeshift futon spread out in the grass beside him. At first he was silent, and she'd taken the opportunity to ponder just where he'd even gotten the materials to create the futon to begin with.

"Yes." he'd finally told her, not bothering to look up. At the time, he'd been seated on the ground, his back propped against a large boulder.

"O-Kay." she'd hesitated, "but isn't this kind of… I mean I don't want to intrude on your personal spa-"

He'd interrupted her flustered ramblings by reminding her that she'd lost her weapon, and that it was necessary for her to remain close to him while she slept.

There was logic to his reasoning, she had to admit, but she couldn't help but feel that there was more to it than he was saying.

The bad thing though, the really, really bad thing was that all this extra attention, the seeming concern and copious protectiveness was causing her to become attached to him in a way that could end no way but badly.

She'd thought it over many, many, MANY times, and could come up with no other logical conclusion.

Kagome was developing a crush on Sesshoumaru.

This, she knew, was _bad_, and she had to figure out a way to stop it before she managed to get her feelings hurt… again! She'd puzzled it over, mentally berated herself and through stanch denial tried to convince herself that it wasn't true.

All to no avail.

The miko sighed. _'How am I going to get myself out of this one?' _she lamented mentally. Her head was downcast, so she didn't see him stop, and almost ran right into the object of her detrimental, and no doubt unrequited desire.

"We have arrived." Sesshoumaru announced, causing her to look around her. They stood in a small clearing, circled by trees, thick grasses, and flowering plants of various size, shape and color. At it's center, stood a large tree, which, aside from being larger than the others, looked no different than any other tree she'd ever seen.

Moving to stand beside her traveling companion, Kagome turned a puzzled look on the him. Before she could say anything, however, a booming voice wrenched her attention back to the tree.

"So, Sesshoumaru, you have finally arrived."

Gasping, Kagome looked on as an ancient face began forming near the base of the tree. Though its features were aged and weathered, it wore a slight smile on its face.

Slowly, the eyes opened, focusing on the demon lord who stood beside her.

* * *

"It's about time you arrived." he said, his smile broadening slightly. "We have much to discuss."

I know it's been a long time since I updated, but at least the new chapter is out. Just a few more to go before the end of this little story. Hang in there with me people! We're almost done!


	19. What If

Absolution's Pursuit

What if?

* * *

"It's about time you arrived." he said, his smile broadening slightly. "We have much to discuss."

His eyes narrowing, Sesshoumaru all but glared at the tree. "Bokusenou, why am I not surprised to find that you have been anticipating my arrival?"

The tree youkai closed his eyes, giving the impression that he'd nodded indulgently. "Come closer," he said, ignoring Sesshoumaru's question. "You may be seated if you wish."

Assuming the invitation included herself, Kagome took a tentative step forward. Her eyes were drawn to a moss covered log adjacent to the large tree. She glanced between it and her traveling companion and gave a light shrug. At the moment, his attention was focused entirely upon the sentient tree, so she took the opportunity to move forward and make herself comfortable.

From the corner of his eyes, the daiyoukai watched her as she moved away from him. Distantly, he found himself wondering why he was so fixated on her as of late. This of course, was a matter over which he had pondered more than once, but which had recently become increasingly, if not detrimentally consuming.

Distracting as it was, the subject would have to wait for a later time, he finally decided, repressing the modicum of disappointment he felt at the empty space left between them. There were more pressing matters to be addressed at the moment.

The minute shifting of golden eyes was not missed by the ancient tree. '_An interesting development indeed.'_

When the eyes focused on him again, Bokusenou was just as calm and collected as ever, though an air of wily amusement veiled his weathered features.

Sesshoumaru stepped forward, not at all pleased with the knowing smile his father's old vassal was wearing.

"What is happening to me and why?" the inu lord asked, getting straight to the point.

If Bokusenou was surprised by his lord's directness, in no way did he show it. He looked up at the inu, his smile fading a little. "You are dying." he said, "I am surprised you were not informed of this already."

He heard Kagome gasp, his peripheral vision showing him that she'd lifted both hands to her face in a show of astonished horror. He had not wanted her to hear that, but after much consideration, decided there was nothing for it. The only way to prevent it, would have been to send her out of hearing range. In doing so, he would have put her safety at risk.

"In the interest of protecting humans from hostile youkai," Bokusenou spoke up, almost nonchalantly, "the gods have decided to… intervene. "Even now," he continued, his upper branches rustling as if stirred by the wind, "the air is being saturated with purity, much like the powers commanded by your priestess companion here."

"Youkai who have proven themselves harmless to the humans have been granted immunity, while those who have been deemed a threat, are slowly being purified and destroyed."

"But that's not fair!" the miko cried, reasserting her presence by animatedly leaping from her seat. "Sesshoumaru isn't like that anymore! He saved my life just a few days ago! Doesn't that count for anything?"

"In the grand scheme of things," the ancient youkai mused aloud, "apparently not."

The demon lord had seen this miko, weak human that she was, stand unwaveringly in defense of her friends, had watched as she flung her own body over those she cared for in the hopes of protecting them, but never, in all his life would he have imagined such unyielding, foolish concern be directed at him. He hated to admit it, but it was a little unnerving.

He covertly took in her features, noting her heavy breathing, tightly clenched fists, and the look of utter displeasure marring her face. If nothing else, her concern was assuredly genuine.

"There has to be a way to reverse it," she gritted out, almost to herself. "There has to be a way to save him."

The moments that followed her declaration were filled with a tense, uncomfortable silence. It was as if, in this moment, time itself came to a standstill. The birds and animals did not make a sound. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath as the entire world waited to see what Bokusenou would say next.

Finally, the old youkai deigned to speak.

"There is a chance." he stated simply.

"What must I do?" Sesshoumaru questioned when the other demon said nothing further.

"To the north of here there is a range of mountains near the sea." the tree began, focusing somewhere over Sesshoumaru's head. "If you are willing to travel there, you just might be able to save yourself."

Something about the old youkai's wording jabbed at the ever perceptive inu, causing him to narrow his eyes. "Is there a reason I would not be willing to travel into the mountains?" he asked, a hint of displeasure edging his tone.

"You?" Bokusenou asked, "most likely not. However, it would be very dangerous for your traveling companion."

"Why?" the daiyoukai wanted to know.

"The northern mountains are a strange and mystical place, Sesshoumaru. High within their peaks, the purity that is killing off the youkai is weak there, and many demons have gathered in that place in hopes of survival. As a priestess, their collective youki could prove harmful for her." He paused, giving them both a moment to consider his words.

"If those factors were not enough, there is also the matter of the Shikon no Tama."

"The Shikon no Tama?" the miko spoke up, "But I destroyed it three years ago!"

"Yes," Bokusenou agreed, "and as it was destroyed, the jewel unleashed a great deal of its strange and awesome powers, much of which was absorbed by you. Your very aura is saturated with it. The youkai that are brave, or desperate enough will not hesitate to devour you in the hopes of gaining that power for themselves."

The old tree turned its attention back to Sesshoumaru.

"If you choose to venture into the mountains, your absolution will rest upon your willingness to make a momentous sacrifice."

"What kind of a sacrifice?"

"I am unable to say. It is different for each youkai."

Silence ensued, allowing the miko and daiyoukai several moments in which to gather their thoughts.

A slight furrow marring his brow, Sesshoumaru turned his attention to Kagome. She looked up at him as well, attempting to predict what he would say. He stared at her for a long time. Staring right back at him, the miko practically held her breath in anticipation of his words.

"You," he finally said, "will return to the village with your friends."

"WHAT?" she cried indignantly, taken completely by surprise.

"You will not accompany me into the mountains."

Her hands again fisting at her sides, the miko glared up at him. "Why. Not?" she demanded through gritted teeth.

The inu lord turned away from her, as if preparing to leave the clearing. "You will only be a hindrance."

For her part, Kagome would have none of it. She quickly leapt into his path, pointing an accusing finger directly into his face. "That's not why you want to send me back now and you know it!"

He batted her hand away. "It doesn't matter." he insisted. "You are going back."

"I am _not_ going back and you can't make me! We don't have time for this Sesshoumaru! You can't afford to waste extra time taking me back to the village, and since you promised to protect me, you can't let me go back on my own either!"

She stomped her foot, pressing on before he could say anything further. "And I am NOT a hindrance! I may not have proper training as a miko, but I'm a damn good archer! I have always stood by my friends and been willing to sacrifice any and everything to help them however I could! Do you really think I'm gonna turn tail and abandon you now, just because there's a few demons in the mountains? I was the one who killed Naraku! Not Inuyasha, not even you, I did it!"

The inu lord scoffed lightly, the reminder jabbing a thorn into his pride. "A feat which was incidental at best."

Kagome huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Whatever the case, I did it. I wasn't afraid of him, and I'm not afraid of those demons either!

His gaze locked with hers, and he could hardly help but marvel at the steely conviction in her dark eyes. She was really serious.

"You would risk your own life for no other reason than to remain by my side?"

"You may not feel the same way about me, Sesshoumaru, but I've come to view you as a friend. I can't go back. Miroku and Sango have their own lives to live. They have each other. Even Inuyasha has Kikyou in the afterlife. You're all I've got now, and I'm willing to do whatever I can to make sure it stays that way."

She blushed then, gazing off to the side as she unfolded her arms and began twiddling her fingers.

"Besides, you're not traveling with Rin or Jaken anymore, so like it or not, I'm all you've got too." A heavy breath escaped her lips. "So, the answer to your question, is yes."

For a long time, neither of them said anything. Then, Kagome finally looked up, only to find him staring at her again. She held his gaze without flinching, letting him know without words that she had no intention of leaving him now. Finally he turned away.

"Foolish woman."

Kagome scoffed. "Is that the best you've got? 'Cause I can assure you I've been called much worse."

She straightened, lifted her chin and adjusted her traveling pack on her shoulders. "Now, if you're finished here, we should get going. We can probably get in a couple more hours travel if we get going now."

She turned away and began to exit the clearing.

"Perhaps," Sesshoumaru announced from behind her, "Except that the north is in the other direction."

She paused before slowly turning around.

Her face was red.

"Right! I knew that!"

She brushed passed him, pretending not to notice the smirk that graced his lips.

Bokusenou watched them depart, highly amused by the exchange. He hoped to see his lord again someday, though whether or not he ever would, he couldn't really say. He had a good feeling about it though.

He wondered what role the miko would play in all of this.

Easily catching up to the young woman, Sesshoumaru glanced at her from the corner of his eyes.

His mind was a mess with jumbled thoughts, ranging from his uncertain fate, to the dubious quest set upon him by Bokusenou, to the fearless, unwavering resolve of the woman striding along side him. Clearly she was insane, yet he could find no fault in her words, convictions or unfaltering loyalty.

That didn't stop him from trying though.

He had had the opportunity to observe this miko in the past, but spending so much time in close proximity to her was a different matter entirely. The woman was like no one he had ever known. There were so many admirable qualities about her, and she didn't even seem to realize it. She wasn't putting up a front, or attempting to gain anything for herself, she was just being Kagome. She didn't even seem to recognize her own physical beauty.

Sesshoumaru sighed. There was nothing for it.

Against all odds, against all that was sensible, and logical and reasonable, and _sane_ the girl had managed to endear herself to him.

It was a difficult admission to make, even to himself, and it stirred unpleasant and worrisome thoughts.

What if these feelings of endearment deepened?

What if those deeper feelings were not returned?

What… if she found out what really happened to Inuyasha?

* * *

First of all, WHOOP, WHOOP, WHOOOOP! Two chapters in three days? WHAT? I can't even remember the last time I did something like that! WOW!

I guess I'm getting excited because we're close to the end of this story. I've already written the epilogue, and can't wait to post it! I'm hoping to finish this in another couple chapters or so.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! I know it's kinda short, but again, two chapters in three days! lol!


	20. Revelation

Absolution's Pursuit

Revelation

* * *

Her knees pillowed on a surprisingly soft futon, the untrained miko kneeled against the northern wall, her arms resting on the smooth, dark wood that bordered a tiny window. Outside, it was dark and cool, the rain pattering heavily upon the thatched roof.

The journey that brought them to this place, to this tiny hut had been exceedingly long and tiresome. A heavy sigh escaping her lips, the miko rested her head on top of her folded arms. Even though she was tired to the bone, Kagome could not tear herself away from the small opening. She couldn't stop staring out the window, as in the distance, the northern mountains loomed, their ominous presence stirring something deep and fundamental inside of her. It's not that she was afraid, per se, but something about those mountains…

It was, difficult to describe, the miko decided. If someone had asked, she concluded after several, long moments, she would have said the mountains simultaneously called to her, while at the same time warded her away. In staring at them, she felt both anxious to climb into their peaks, and apprehensive of the fate that awaited her there. The danger was clear. Even from this distance, Kagome could feel the presence of many, many youkai, just waiting for her to get close, waiting for them to come into the mountains so they could sink their claws into her, and tear her apart.

'_You won't get me though!' _she vowed heatedly, her right hand clenching into a tight fist. She'd be right there at Sesshoumaru's side and would fight together with him until he found whatever it was he needed to get through this.

Though confident in her strength and abilities, Kagome still wished, not for the first time, that she'd taken the time to train as a proper miko. Regrettably, the time for that had passed. But, her skills as an archer had seen her and her friends through many, many battles, and she was certain they wouldn't fail her now! When those demons finally attacked, as she knew they eventually would, she and Sesshoumaru would wipe them out! They were going to get through this, and Sesshoumaru was NOT going to die! She had lost so much already, she wasn't willing to loose him too. She couldn't!

'_I'm so tired…' _the miko thought suddenly, _'So why can't I sleep?' _

She would have thought she'd welcome the opportunity to sleep indoors, on a soft futon at that, and drop off like a lead weight. But now that she was presented with the opportunity to rest properly, her mind simply would not stop wandering enough for her to do so.

She had to admit, it had been somewhat surprising when She and Sesshoumaru had deviated from traversing through wooded areas, dirt roads and largely vacant glades, to pass through a small but thriving village near the northern mountains. When they'd arrived, the pair drew quite a bit of attention. People didn't seem to know whether to express deference or run for their lives, so several did both, quickly bowing in their general direction before making a hasty retreat. Dressed as she was, it would have been clear to the villagers that Kagome was a priestess, so she was sure it must have been highly confusing to see her traveling with a daiyoukai.

Finally, the pair was approached by a young man. Clearly nervous, the slightly overweight male moved slowly and deliberately; closing the distance with evident caution, his tall staff clutched in a white-knuckled grip.

"G-good day," he'd greeted with a curt but respectful bow. "I am Kenji, son of Makoto-sama, this villages headman." His voice was surprisingly deep, and Kagome imagined it would have seemed to most, rather commanding. The effect in this case, was only slightly spoiled by the man's apparent apprehension of the powerful inu youkai to which he spoke.

"My name is Kagome," the miko had spoke up brightly, trying to put his mind at ease, "and this is Sesshoumaru."

"Pleased to meet you." Kenji had returned with an uneasy smile. "What brings you to our humble village?"

Not knowing the answer to that question herself, Kagome had turned her attention to Sesshoumaru, curious to see what he would say.

"We require lodgings for the night."

Seemingly surprised, the man looked between the pair, his eyes quickly scanning back and forth between them before he finally seemed to assimilate what he had heard. Though his expression spoke clearly of many questions, the man must have thought better of asking them.

"Of course," he said instead, "Then please follow me. We shall speak with my father."

Surprised by the declaration herself, Kagome waited until the man had turned and was several paces ahead of them before gently tugging on Sesshoumaru's oversized sleeve. "Are we really going to stay in this village? I thought you didn't like hu-"

"A storm is approaching." he'd said, cutting her off.

"A storm?" she'd wondered aloud, looking up into the clear blue sky. She'd almost questioned him about it, but then decided that his superior, youkai powered weather detecting abilities probably surpassed her own. Even humans could smell rain when it was nearby, so his powerful sense of smell could likely detect it at much greater distances. Besides, why pass up an opportunity to sleep indoors for a change?

The past few weeks had been pretty rough, so maybe, at least for this night, they'd get a much needed retreat.

The village headman, a short, stout figure with a round face and grey hair, had welcomed them into his home, seemingly unconcerned with the imposing inu lord. After his son explained that she and Sesshoumaru were travelers requiring lodgings for the night, Makoto sagely nodded his head. "Very good!" he'd announced, "Please feel free to make use of the guest house near the northwest boarder of our humble village. I am certain it will be most accommodating for you." he'd assured with a cheerful smile, ignoring the apprehensive look on his wife's face.

Taking in the man's oddly cheerful expression, Kagome was left with a vague impression that, though pleasant and apparently the respected leader of this moderately affluent village, Makoto was a little… weird.

"Don't worry your precious little head my love!" the man told his wife, voicing the woman's apparent concern. "If this demon meant us any harm, why we'd all be dead by now!" with that, he burst into laughter, unknowingly confirming Kagome's initial assessment. _'Yep, weird!'_

Kenji, who didn't seem at all surprised by Makoto's behavior, simply shrugged before leaving his father's hut, beaconing them to follow. A short time later, they were seated in a small hut, with fresh linens, a tray of hot tea, and a pitcher of water with a small basin.

The amenities, though much appreciated, were all but ignored by the young priestess. Instead, her attention was drawn to the window, and by proximity, the futon that lay beneath it. Kneeling on its welcoming softness, she'd wanted to look out to watch the approaching storm, but forgot all about it when she saw the range of mountains in the distance. In and of themselves, they were nothing out of the ordinary, and in fact were fairly picturesque, but she knew better. She hadn't forgotten the warning Bokusenou had given before they'd left him.

There was truth to his words she knew, for the past few weeks had proved it. It had started off so innocuously, the first few days after leaving the sentient tree bringing nothing out of the ordinary. However, as they moved further and further north, it became quite apparent that, even though the demons were collectively dying off, there were many yet living.

It had started off with vague, but persistent stalking. It was about three weeks ago, when she'd suddenly become aware that they were being watched. She could clearly remember the sensation of cool, unpleasant waves of youki brushing over her, lifting the tiny hairs at the base of her neck. She had looked around them, her left hand moving toward her bow.

"Do not concern yourself." Sesshoumaru had told her, though he seemed to purposely close the distance between them.

The youkai were apparently biding their time, for even though their presence did not abate, they made no move to show themselves either. At least not for those first few days.

* * *

It was probably the forth or fifth day when the youkai launched their first, desperate attack. It must have been around midnight, she and Sesshoumaru had been sleeping near a small fire. That night, they had chosen to camp in a small valley at the base of a ravine; bordered on one side by dense trees and brush, and cut through by a shallow stream on the other.

It had been deathly quiet, unnaturally quiet when Kagome suddenly started in her sleep. She'd bolted up, grabbing her bow and snatching an arrow from her quiver. One knee pressed to the ground, the other bent before her, poised to propel her from danger at a moment's notice, the miko was the picture of readiness. The arrow drawn taut against the string of her bow, she aimed high, her eyes scanning the trees for movement.

"I know you're out there." she whispered fiercely.

And, as if conjured by the sound of her voice, something released an ear shattering screech, exploding from the treetops at blinding speeds. She never even saw what it was, as Sesshoumaru, whose presence she'd all but forgotten, went flying over her head. The bright green swipe of his claws tore through the night sky, severing the youkai's enormous head in its pass.

Before he could even land, Kagome pivoted, driven by adrenaline and pure instinct, releasing her arrow. The projectile illuminated the entire area, shooting across the stream and eradicating several demons, both those directly and indirectly in its path.

Behind her, she could hear the sounds of more screeching, dying youkai, and quickly retrieved her quiver, slinging it onto her back and drawing another arrow. Though she would only fire a total of three that night, she was sure she'd destroyed no less than forty demons.

She had no idea how many Sesshoumaru had killed.

In a way, it was like Naraku all over again.

When it became apparent that the attack was over, the priestess and youkai turned to face one another, she breathing heavily, and he as calm and collected as ever. She exhaled loudly, her shoulders relaxing as a single arrow dropped from her limp fingers. "Guess I should've seen this coming," she said with a nervous little smile. "They've been following us for days."

Sesshoumaru didn't answer, instead looking down on her with an intense gaze. "You are unharmed?" he finally said, and Kagome blushed, running a hand down the back of her neck.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she told him, adrenaline still coursing through her veins. She kneeled to retrieve the arrow, her hand shaking a little as she picked it up. She always was a little jittery after a good battle.

"You fought well." she heard her companion say as she stood, nearly causing her to drop the arrow again.

"Th-thanks." she said, again blushing and refusing to meet his eyes. The overt compliment surprised her, and the miko had almost not known how to respond.

"You should go back to sleep." he said abruptly, distracting her from her embarrassed flush.

"As if I could after that!" she laughed, dropping the arrow back into her quiver.

"You should try."

This time it was she who paused before speaking. "I guess you're right," she admitted softly, pulling the quiver of arrows from her shoulder.

She gasped when the inu took her wrist before guiding them both to where they'd been sleeping. He'd seated himself in the thick grass, bringing her down with him. Staring into his face, flushed and befuddled, the miko kneeled beside him. He released her wrist, entrapping her instead with his intense gaze. "Stay very close." he said, his voice grave and quiet. She nodded mutely, before slowly laying down. She turned away from him, though she was still close enough to feel the heat of his leg against her back. "I-is this okay?" she asked, blushing furiously at the contact. Instead of answering, he simply placed his hand on her shoulder.

Kagome hardly slept at all that night.

* * *

The days that followed were relatively calm, though the trek became increasingly grueling. There were steep hills, thickly mudded valleys, and rocky terrains. Though Sesshoumaru would sometimes carry her through the worst of it, and allow her a break whenever she needed, it was still physically and mentally exhausting!

If that wasn't bad enough, the demons that resumed stalking them had decided to attack again a few days ago! This time it had been around dusk, and she and Sesshoumaru had not yet selected a place to camp for the night. Just like the first time, the attack had been sudden, and she'd barely had time to ready her weapon. Fortunately, Sesshoumaru had leapt right into action, his fluid, constant motions distracting her so completely, she'd almost forgotten that she should be helping him! This time there had been even more youkai, and even though only few managed get very close, it seemed clear that they were attempting to separate her from the daiyoukai.

It didn't work though. Standing nearly back to back, Kagome fired her arrows, and Sesshoumaru, without unleashing a great deal of power, used his claws and his blade.

The barrage was gone as quickly as it came, though it left a sense of incompleteness, one that she knew was felt by her companion as well as herself.

This was not over… the demons would definitely come after her again.

"I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru," the miko spoke suddenly, surprising even herself with the impromptu apology.

Her youkai companion, who had been standing in the doorway, his clawed hand holding the straw shutter to one side, turned to look at her over his shoulder. "For what?" he wanted to know.

Kagome sighed, finally turning away from the window to flop heavily onto her butt, back against the wall. She folded her legs, placing her hands in her lap. "I know I'm slowing you down," she said, throwing her hands up in a helpless gesture. "You could have made it to the mountains weeks ago if you weren't always taking breaks for me. Not only that, but the demons," she trailed off, feeling bad, "the demons are only attacking you to get to me."

She heard him scoff. "There is no need to apologize." he said, turning back to face the outside world. "I knew this would happen."

She looked up at him. "You did? How?"

"I have traveled with a human female once before." She could hear a faint, nostalgic smile in his voice. "And just because I have never held any interest in the Shikon jewel, that does not mean that I cannot detect its power within you."

"Oh," the miko said, "I guess I never thought about that."

A moment later, Sesshoumaru turned fully, taking several steps in her direction. Surprising her, he kneeled on the edge of her futon, lifting her chin with a clawed finger. "I offered you my protection without condition. You will not apologize for accepting it."

She swallowed thickly, looking into the warm gold of his piercing eyes. "O-okay."

He held her gaze for a moment before a smile tilted the edge of his lips. "Good."

He returned to his full height, though not without offering a hand to pull her up. She accepted it and stood, staring at him with curious eyes. Without a word, he guided them both to the other side of the one room hut. In the corner, there was another futon, this one larger than the one she'd chosen beneath the window.

He offered her the side nearest to the far wall. Blushing, she hesitated for a moment before crawling onto the futon. She looked up at him, watching as he removed his heavy pelt before settling down beside her. He sat very close, his back resting against the wall.

Kagome hid a nervous smile behind her hand, tentatively curling up beside him. Did he have any idea how much he was fanning the flames of her perilous little crush?

'_Probably not.' _she sighed, but that was okay.

Tomorrow, they would rise and face the perils of the mountains, but for now, right now, she would simply enjoy his presence, enjoy his continued willingness to protect her, would enjoy… _him_. She smiled softly and snuggled a little closer.

She felt him stiffen before looking down on her. He soon relaxed, and placed a hand on her back near the base of her neck.

"I'll need more arrows before we go into the mountains," she spoke softly, hardly breaking the previous silence in the room.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "We will get some in the morning, before we leave the village."

"Sesshoumaru, what… what do you think Bokusenou meant when he said you'd need to make a sacrifice?"

She heard the inu youkai sigh. He had thought of this many times and was not at all pleased with the possibilities.

"I do not know. I can only hope the answer will present itself to me when the time comes."

Kagome nodded her agreement. "I hope so." she whispered, almost to herself.

"Do not worry yourself." he said. "You should try to sleep."

"I'll try," she said, answering both statements.

For his part, the daiyoukai would remain awake, prisoner to his own dismal thoughts. When he'd set out on this journey, he thought he'd be willing to sacrifice any and everything to save his immaculately honed demonic powers. Innately powerful already, Sesshoumaru had spent more than two centuries sharpening his powers and refining his skills. To loose all of that, and die as a pitiful, powerless mortal was the ultimate insult upon the very fiber of his being. It was not an acceptable fate for one such as he!

Now, now Sesshoumaru wasn't so sure he was willing to sacrifice any and everything.

There were truly more important things than mere power. The thought was both shocking and incredibly unnerving, but was undeniably true none the less.

Sliding his hand slowly across her back, the daiyoukai gently caressed the miko's shoulder.

Never before, in all his long life had he felt so torn.

A sacrifice, in its very nature, would demand something of importance, for something of equal, or even greater importance.

What if… what if the sacrifice, was _her_?

The thought pained his heart in a way he did not anticipate, nearly stole his breath away.

When it came right down to it, the question was simple, yet the answer was not.

Was he willing to sacrifice Kagome, to save his demonic powers?

* * *

Alright my darlings, another chapter done! I actually meant to finish the story with this one, but, it looks like there'll be at least one more. I have a short attention span, so cramming the rest of the plot into this one chapter would not have been good. Grammar and spelling would have taken a dive, OOC-ness would have run rampant, people's eyes would have begun to burn, there would've been screaming, and plot-holes and general unhappiness.

So, there you go. The next chapter should be the last, before the epilogue. Hope you all enjoyed!


	21. Into the Mountains

Absolution's Pursuit

Into the Mountains

Author's Note: Due to FFN's recent purging of stories containing mature subject matter, this chapter has been edited for content. The full version is available on Dokuga, AFF and Mediaminer. If you have any questions please PM me.

* * *

Morning arrived far earlier than either miko or daiyoukai would have liked, bringing with it heavy, oppressive remnants of moisture from the night before. In the east, the bright yellow sun spilled languidly through a scattering of thick clouds, its feeble but strengthening warmth slowly chasing away the previous chill. Lifted by the gentle breeze, silver and black tresses danced and twirled, mingling together briefly before gradually settling back into their respective places.

Kagome adjusted her quiver against her back and drew a deep breath, recalling the miko who'd given her a new bow and extra arrows.

Misako, an older, yet impossibly beautiful woman with long brown hair, had accompanied the headman's wife this morning; bringing with her a heavy quiver of arrows and a long bow. After a brief introduction by the wary headwoman, the priestess moved forward, standing before she and Sesshoumaru as if sizing them up, her features tight with disapproval.

Looking between them, the priestess gave a slight shake of her head, her expression one of disappointment. "A priestess of such power," she'd muttered to herself. "How very unfortunate…"

Scowling, Kagome was about to ask just what she'd meant by that when the woman pressed on, unperturbed. "Your reasons for associating with this… demon." she spat, "are your own and I will not question them, in spite of my perverse curiosity. Clearly you care for him, and it is your prerogative to do so. However, I do not know what it is you expect to accomplish." She sighed, visibly frustrated. "Though I do not approve of the company you choose to keep, I feel obligated, as a miko, to aid you as best I can." She tersely handed over the bow and arrows. "May these weapons serve you well." she added tightly before turning to walk a way.

She'd only taken a couple of steps before turning back to face Kagome once more.

"The gods have smiled upon us young priestess," she said, "you'll learn that soon enough!"

And with that, the elder miko spun on her heel, her dark hair swishing behind her as she purposefully strode back the way she'd come.

"Well," Kagome huffed, loud enough to be heard by the retreating female. "That was extremely rude!"

The headwoman chuckled uncomfortably. "Misako-sama's candor can be a bit jarring for those who do not know her well. Please accept my apology if she has offended you. She is a good woman and a powerful priestess, but can be rather stubborn and outspoken at times.

Scarcely touched by the headwoman's words, a scowling Kagome was sorely tempted to toss the weapons to the ground and storm off into the mountains without them! Misako didn't even know Sesshoumaru; would hardly even look at him! All she knew was that he was a demon, and she'd immediately assumed he was bad! Whatever good intentions the woman thought she had, the plain and simple truth was that it was people like her who polluted the world with hate and violence.

After stewing in her displeasure for another moment or two, Kagome finally decided to let it go, breathing out the last of her frustration with a heavy sigh. In a way, she realized, she felt sorry for Misako and her one-sided thinking.

The young miko finally turned her attention back to the headwoman and smiled politely. "Thank you for all your help and for letting us stay in your village." she said, a curt bow accompanying her words.

The woman bowed in turn. "You are most welcome Miko-sama. I wish you a safe journey."

"Thank you." she said, before turning to face her companion. She was only slightly surprised to see that he had already turned away and moved several paces in the other direction. When he paused, presumably to wait for her, she took another moment to settle her new weapons into place before breaking into a light jog to catch up with him.

Now, here they were, standing side by side, gazing upon their destination, each lost to their own thoughts.

"Well," Kagome finally spoke up, trying to keep the tickle of nervousness from her voice, "those mountains aren't going to climb itself."

"Indeed." Sesshoumaru murmured, sounding distracted.

A stiff breeze washed over them, bringing with it a chill that skated down Kagome's spine. _'I'm not afraid!' _she thought stubbornly. And it was true, she wasn't afraid of the demons she knew were up there. Instead, she was simply nervous; nervous about what was going to happen, about what would happen to…

"Come," the inu lord finally spoke up.

Startled from her train of thought, Kagome looked to her companion, only to find that he had taken to one knee, his hair pushed aside as he offered her his back.

"You're going to carry me?" she asked, tentatively moving forward.

Really, she found herself a bit surprised that he would offer her his back, much the way Inuyasha had always done. Not that he hadn't carried her before, but when he had, it was normally just a brief grab around the waist to leap over an obstacle or two.

The daiyoukai felt her small hands on his shoulders and closed his eyes as a pleasant, inopportune warmth washed over him. Exhaling slowly as she moved in even closer, pressing her body against his back, he willed himself to focus on the matter at hand. "It will allow us to move more quickly." he told her, standing as he cupped his hands against her thighs. "I have no wish to remain in the mountains longer than necessary."

"Okay," the miko said, her heart racing at the feel of his warm hands against her. Maybe she wasn't remembering correctly, but she couldn't recall ever having felt this way when Inuyasha had carried her.

Before she could ponder the issue any further, the daiyoukai took off, stealing her breath away with his unearthly speed. She instinctively tightened her grip on his shoulders, peering over the tickling hairs of his enormous pelt as they headed into the mountains.

* * *

Glancing above them, Sesshoumaru noted waning streaks of yellow stretched infinitely across the sky. As they always did, he knew they would soon give way to deepening shades of gold, orange and red as the sun began it's westward descent. This long, fruitless day of searching was coming to an end and he and Kagome would be forced to remain in the mountains overnight. He had hoped to avoid that.

The youkai, that even now were trailing them, would become emboldened by the coming darkness and thus much more likely to attack. There were hundreds of them, perhaps even thousands…

The daiyoukai frowned, displeased with the possibilities a confrontation could yield.

The day had been a long one. Pausing only when strictly necessary, they had managed to cover a lot of ground, though had accomplished very little.

Aside from the hoards of demons here, Sesshoumaru had become aware of another presence as well. Powerful and seemingly benevolent, he could tell that the being was not youkai, and instinctively knew that whatever it was, it held the answer to his predicament. What was frustrating however, was the fact that whatever it was, he could never seem to close the distance on it, no matter how fast or how far he traveled into the mountainous peaks.

What did it expect of him? What was it attempting to do? It seemed only to be observing his and Kagome's trek through the mountains, without revealing itself or interfering with anything they did. It was vexing, to say the very least.

Slowing, Sesshoumaru finally came to a stop, allowing the female to slide from his back. They had reached the summit, and even though there was still so much ground to cover, the inu lord had already resigned himself to a night in the mountains. Inhaling deeply, he noted that, though they were fairly high up, it was unusually warm up here. Ahead of them the mountains sprawled and sloped, gently stretching to the edge of the sea. Off to the right of where they stood, he spotted a sizable plateau, peppered with tall pines and carpeted with a sparse layer of grass.

Though he dreaded remaining in the mountains any longer than what was strictly necessary, the inu could take some level of comfort in the fact that the benevolent entity was not continuing to move away from them. It seemed to pause as they did, so in the morning, when he began to pursue it again, at least it would be no further away than it already was.

"Wow," the miko finally spoke up, stepping from behind him. "You can see everything from up here. The shimmering blue sea, breathtaking in its immense size alone, was truly a sight to behold! Its surface rippled and shimmered, and she couldn't help but reach out, as if to touch its dazzling surface. "Had I ever thought about it," she whispered, almost to herself, "I would have thought I'd be terrified to see a body of water so huge." She looked at Sesshoumaru then. "But it's absolutely beautiful."

He held her gaze, and for a moment, found himself captured in the endearing, childlike awe she exuded.

He felt compelled to touch her, and settled on sweeping her overgrown bangs away from her eyes, gently tucking the dark strands behind her ear.

"Come." he said, slowly pivoting away from her. Blushing, the miko followed him down a rocky slope, watching her steps carefully until they arrived on a relatively level plateau.

"We will camp here for the night," the daiyoukai announced, abruptly pausing ahead of her.

Frowning, Kagome moved to stand in front of him. "You want to stop now?" she demanded, "Why would you want to do that? I know you're not tired, and we haven't found," she paused, throwing her hands up in a helpless gesture, "whatever it is we're looking for! We can't stop now!"

He glared down at her, one thin brow lifting into his bangs. "We can and we will." he said, his tone brooking no argument.

"But there's no reason to!" she pressed on. "There's something here Sesshoumaru, I can feel it! I don't really know what it is, but I'm pretty sure it can help us and we need to find it!"

'_So,' _the daiyoukai thought, not really surprised by this new revelation, _'she can sense the entity too.' _This at least, confirmed that he was not simply imagining the strange, ethereal presence he knew was around here somewhere.

"It can wait," he insisted after a brief pause. "We will make camp for the night, and resume our pursuit in the morning."

The miko stomped her foot, evidently dissatisfied with this turn of events. "But this is important Sesshoumaru! Why can't we just keep going?"

The youkai resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose, frustrated with the notion of having to explain his actions. He was unaccustomed to such things, but knew the woman would not let it be until her questions were satisfactorily answered.

"Kagome," he all but sighed, "I have offered to see to your safety and have no desire to go back on my word. But you have also proven yourself able and willing to stand in your own defense. Should it become necessary for you to fight, the odds of your survival could be greatly jeopardized if you were too exhausted to do so."

The miko gasped softly, feeling chastised. Not only was he stopping for her benefit, but he had also, without saying it outright, expressed a level of confidence in her abilities. She almost didn't know what to say.

"But," she finally spoke up, her tone more subdued, "I'm not tired. Not really."

"It matters not," he told her, turning away to stare at the sea. "You are human and require nightly rest. Your body will only weaken without it."

There was no condescension in his voice, he was merely stating a plain and simple truth. Crestfallen, the miko hung her head, her bangs again falling to cover her eyes. He was right and she felt terrible; like she was holding him back. She'd insisted on coming here with him, and now she'd made herself a hindrance, just like he said she would.

"Sesshoumaru," she said, voice grainy with barely repressed emotion, "I don't mean to hold you back. I'm so sorr-"

"Don't," the inu lord cut her off, sounding almost angry. "We have already discussed this. You will not apologize for accepting that which was freely offered."

For a moment neither of them spoke, before he finally closed the distance between them once again; he needed to see that miserable expression removed from her face. "We are in this together now, you said that yourself."

Slowly, delicately, he cupped his hand against her cheek, the tips of his claws subtly weaving into her hair. She responded by looking up at him, her eyes wide and glistening. The pad of his thumb moved across her cheek, taking with it a trail of moisture. "There are many demons in this place, and they will exploit any weakness we avail to them." he said, his eyes narrowing as he stared down at her, "I need you to be strong, both mentally and physically. Do you understand?"

And there was something in his voice, something dire, serious and almost desperate, though she couldn't quite name what it was. The message, however, was clear. As he'd said, there were lots of demons here, she could feel it herself. There were so many in fact, that if and when they did attack even he, Sesshoumaru was unsure whether or not he would be able to hold them off on his own. He needed her to fight with him, needed her to be strong and stand by his side. And, she realized, almost overwhelmed at the implications, he cared. Beyond the promise he'd made, he genuinely didn't want to see her harmed.

Somewhere along the way, his view of her had changed. In the beginning, she had simply been an unwanted charge, someone he was bound to protect for the sake of his own honor. Now, he seemed to view her as more of an equal, and while he still intended to protect her, he also expected her to stand by his side and to fight _with_ him. Did he truly have that much confidence in her abilities?

"Yes," she finally answered. "I understand."

"Good."

* * *

The hour was approaching midnight, and the night was nearly pitch black. The half moon hung in the sky; a gentle breeze stirred and fluttered, rustling the grasses and trees. A small, waning fire crackled obliviously as dark shadows seemed to creep in from every corner of the encampment.

Slowly, Kagome opened her eyes, rousing from her sleep and pushing tousled hair from her face. Looking up, she was not surprised to find Sesshoumaru already on his feet, his fist clenched at his sides. She began to pull herself up, instinctively reaching for her bow and arrows.

And then, her dreaded thoughts were uttered from Sesshoumaru's lips.

"We are surrounded."

Her heart leaping into her throat, the miko was quickly on her feet, settling her weapons and moving to place her back against his. She pulled an arrow, notching it against her bowstring as her companion drew his blade. The sound of metal sliding from its sheath sent a chill skating down her spine, but Kagome held her ground, setting her jaw and preparing to let loose her arrow at the first sign of movement.

The moment seemed to draw out, as she and Sesshoumaru stood back to back, each gazing into the surrounding woods as they waited for the first youkai to make its move. Catching a glimpse of Bakusaiga from the corner of her eye, Kagome suddenly recalled something that chilled her to the bone, an unpleasant weight sinking into the pit of her stomach.

Demon blades, though typically powerful in their own rights, also drew enormous amounts of energy from their wielder. Under normal circumstances this would not represent a problem, but since Sesshoumaru's youki was merely held in stasis, hardly replenishing itself at all, using the blade could present a very serious problem. The fact that he drew it, that he'd even chance it at all, spoke volumes as to the danger they must be in.

"Sesshoumaru," she whispered urgently, barely managing to keep her voice steady, "Are you really going to use Bakusaiga? I mean, I don't really want to question you about this right now, but I thought…"

"Do not worry yourself," he cut in, understanding her valid concern. "Whether or not I unleash it's full power, the blade itself is still lethal."

She nodded mutely, pulling her arrow more tightly against the bow.

Just then, something darted in from the tree line, its long, dark body moving swiftly across the ground. _'So fast!' _the miko thought, unleashing her arrow before got close enough to be seen clearly.

Then, another demon sprung forward, and another, and three more to her left. Her breath catching in her throat, the miko let her arrows fly. _'This,' _she realized, her brow creasing with consternation, _'is not good!' _

"They will attempt to separate us," Sesshoumaru spoke from behind her, his calm voice helping to temper her raging heart. "Stay close!"

"Alright." she said, firing another arrow.

For his part, Sesshoumaru had yet to use his blade. His acidic whip however, was being put to good use, as it was able to move swiftly in almost any direction, keeping the demons from getting too close.

The attack was sparse at first, a few youkai venturing into the clearing and meeting their demise by either sacred arrow or acidic whip. But it wouldn't remain that way for long, as the demons became more and more persistent. Soon the night sky, already inky in its blackness was blanketed with demons, their screeches and rumbling growls echoing across the plateau.

It was as if hell itself had cracked open, allowing the creatures to pour in from every possible angle. Serpentine bodies, razor sharp teeth, and glowing red eyes circled the clearing, drawing ever closer, pressing in with marked fervor as their desperation spurred them toward the woman. Not even the threat of purification would keep them at bay for much longer.

They would rip her to shreds at the first opportunity Kagome knew, would consume her body with glee in the hopes of expanding their lives through her power. Her arms were growing tired now, but she couldn't stop, couldn't drop her guard for even a second, so the miko ignored the pain, swallowed down her trepidation and kept firing. Again and again, her arrows whipped through the air, killing dozens in their wake.

'_This isn't going to work!' _she thought suddenly, her arms beginning to tremble as she fired another arrow, _'there's too many! For each one I destroy, there's at least ten more to take it's place!'_

Behind her, the daiyoukai was approaching much the same conclusion. Amber eyes narrowed in determination, the inu lord swung a wide arc, the blurred glow of his poisonous whip slashing and destroying, yet scarcely denting the youkai's incalculable numbers. Limited by his need to remain close to his companion, Sesshoumaru was growing increasingly frustrated as the demons continued to advance.

He would have to do something soon, though what, he'd not yet decided. The demons clearly had no intention of relenting, and because the numbers favored them, it was just a matter of time before they managed to penetrate his and Kagome's defenses. If the woman was to survive, he would have to get her out of here!

Hissing as it revealed massive deadly fangs, an enormous snake suddenly surged in, so close, that Sesshoumaru could smell its putrid breath. He lunged to his right, aiming to douse the creature with poison, but the bastard was quick, darting back into the throng before the noxious green haze could reach it.

Growling, Sesshoumaru pivoted again, this time intending to grab the miko and get out of here.

And then he heard her scream.

As if in slow motion, a large, birdlike demon swooped down on her, its deadly talons ripping the bow from her hand. Stubbornly, she tried to hold on, overbalanced and fell, tumbling a short distance away as the momentum continued to pull her.

She skidded to a stop, stunned and defenseless as the youkai pressed in behind her.

Heart racing, Sesshoumaru leapt for her, one desperate, outstretched hand seeking, grasping in the air in its fervor to reach her before the demons did. But she wasn't reaching back. Instead, she was pointing, a fearful, wide-eyed expression on her face, somewhere behind him.

Her words did not become clear until it was far to late.

"Sesshoumaru! Behind you!"

The air was suddenly forced from his lungs, his ribs cracking loudly as the massive clawed hand of an oni knocked him off his course. His efforts to regain his bearings were initially fruitless as the force of the blow flipped him over and over, relenting only after having separated him from the woman by several yards.

His boots dug into the earth, scraping furrows as he skidded to a stop, and lunged forward again. With the oni now blocking his path, he couldn't even see Kagome anymore, and for the first time since he could remember, panic shot through the very core of him.

Tightening his grip on his blade, Sesshoumaru bared his fangs, leapt into the air, and took the oni's head with one clean sweep. As the creature crumpled and fell, his view of the miko was cleared, though he didn't like what he saw. She was completely surrounded now, and the demons were gradually moving in.

She looked so small, yet she scowled with determination, her glowing, outstretched hands promising purification to any who dared to touch her.

Except for the snake that emerged behind her.

She didn't even see it, and he knew he wouldn't make it in time.

"Kagome!"

She looked up at him with wide eyes, while the snake, its massive fangs gleaming behind her unsuspecting back, descended so fast he didn't even see where it struck. She cried out and dropped to the ground, disappearing from his view once again.

He landed in a crouch, springing forward without a second's pause, his blade and claws tearing through every demon in his path.

He heard the miko cry out again, but this time the sound was completely different. Neither a shriek nor a growl, the utterance was a mixture of the two; a feral, angry resonance drudged from the very depths of her willful soul.

There was an explosion of light and power, its intensity nearly faltering his advance as he continued to close the distance between them. He soon found her sitting in a desolate circle on the ground, flecks of glittering ash raining down around her. Unconcerned of the remnants of pure energy still crackling in the air, Sesshoumaru rushed into the devastation, capturing the one who caused it and pressing her small body against his own.

She held on for all she was worth, wrapping her arms around him and muttering something unintelligible into his chest.

Feeling angry and possessive and _relieved_, he tightened his grip, baring his fangs to the demons that still surrounded them. They wouldn't touch her again! They would never touch her again!

In his right hand, Bakusaiga began to glow. It was time to end this!

Feeling the stir of his youki as it rose and flooded into the sword, Kagome gasped, her eyes instantly drawn to the shimmering blade.

"Sesshoumaru, no!"

But he wasn't listening; had already lifted the sword, his features hard and uncompromising.

'_It's gonna drain his demonic energy!' _

She tried to struggle out of his arms, tried to make him stop, but it was to no avail. Still captured in his embrace, Kagome could do no more than watch as Bakusaiga tore through the air, its unparalleled destructive energy decimating every demon in the entire area. It took but a single strike.

Bellows of pain and anguish rose and fell, their echoing laments fading into the night as all trace of their presence was wiped clean from the mountain.

Exhaling audibly, Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and dropped heavily to a knee, bringing the woman down with him and plunging his blade into the earth.

She pulled back to look at him, her small hands fisted against his armored chest. "I can't believe you just did that!" she all but screamed, "You had to realize how much your power would be drained!" she grasped the upper rim of his armor, feebly shaking him when he made no move to respond. "You IDIOT! You big, stupid, stupid jerk! Why would you do that Sesshoumaru?"

He sat down completely, placing a hand on either side of her waist as he noticed the crimson stain that now colored the right side of her kimono. "You are injured," he stated simply, not bothering to answer her question.

"Wha-?" she began, following his line of sight.

'_That's right, the snake must've got me.' _

Adrenaline had apparently dulled the pain, because while she felt no signs of discomfort, her kimono was clearly torn, a generous splash of blood surrounding the jagged edges.

Slowly, she pressed the tips of her fingers against the spot, hissing quietly as a sharp pain answered her gentle probing.

"Oh," she said looking mildly abashed. "I should… I should go, and take care of this. There um… there aren't anymore demons around here, so…" she trailed off, moving to twist away from him, as if trying to hide her weakness from his view.

"Let me see," he demanded softly, refusing to let her go.

She was about to argue, but became distracted when a clawed hand slowly reached for the lapel of her kimono. His movements were steady and deliberate, giving her plenty of time to see what he needed to do. He slid the material down over her shoulder, carefully pulling her arm from the sleeve. The stained material fell and pooled around her waist, leaving half her upper body exposed to the cool night air.

Taking in swift, shallow breaths, Kagome held perfectly still as the daiyoukai tenderly touched the area near her wound, just beneath her breast. As she kneeled in the sparse carpet of grass, she used her companion's shoulders to brace herself. He leaned forward, and the miko gasped, her heart leaping into her throat as a warm, wet tongue gently laved her skin. Her arms trembling to hold their place, Kagome bit her lip as an intense, unsolicited wave of heat washed over her.

He was just tending her wound, she reminded herself, there was no need to get all worked up.

"Is it.." she began after a moment, almost panting, "Is it… bad?"

Barely registering the miko's voice over the sound of her pounding heart, the inu lord pulled away to assess the damage. Instead of the deep puncture wound he would have expected, there was simply a long, shallow gash. It was approximately the length of his thumb.

"Not very," he said, sounding vaguely distracted. Though it was no longer bleeding, he licked the wound again, recalling the slight tang that had been mingled in her blood. Before he could consider it, the woman shifted, as if preparing to move away, but something in him rebelled, and he splayed a hand against her back to keep her close.

He closed his eyes, and, not really thinking about his actions, nor the driving force behind them, he pressed his lips to her skin. He wasn't even near the wound now, yet he held his position, breathing in her sweet, intoxicating scent as her chest rose and fell in time with her heavy breathing.

Finally he began to move up her body; languidly dragging his lips across her ribs, between her breasts, and at last to the crook of her neck.

Her trembling body held firmly in his arms, the priestess made no further move to separate herself from him. He obviously was no longer bothering with the wound, yet he'd made no move to let her go. She didn't really know what he was doing; what he was thinking, but on this night, alone in the mountains with this stoic demon lord that had somehow claimed a place in her heart, she found herself willing to accept the guilty pleasure of his touch.

She felt his hand slide from her back to her shoulder, the tips of his claws scratching her ever so slightly as his fingers grasped the other side of her kimono, slowly pulling it down. The fingers of his other hand wove into her hair, lightly scraping her scalp as he dragged his tongue from the crook of her neck to the base of her jaw. He nipped her there and then pressed his lips to her hammering pulse.

He looped a finger beneath the strap of her bra, pulling it down as he planted a trail of moist kisses from her neck to her shoulder. The miko shuddered, her breath escaping in a quavering sigh as she wrapped her arms around him. He'd half expected her to pull away, to ask him to stop, but instead she melted his stony heart by pressing a tender kiss to his cheek.

The demon bit back a growl.

This human, this fragile, delicate, _beautiful_ creature, held so much confidence in him, held him in such high regard, even though she was a priestess, that she would allow him to touch her as he pleased. She trusted him with her safety, trusted him with her life, and now it seemed, she trusted him with her body… perhaps even her heart.

And yet he had betrayed her; kept something important from her, something she might not forgive him for.

His brow crinkling in displeasure, Sesshoumaru reluctantly pushed the miko away, holding her at arm's length as he courageously captured her gaze.

"Kagome," he breathed, his voice more gravelly than usual, "There is… something you should know. Something I have neglected to tell you."

Glossy brown eyes stared up at him, her lips slightly parted. The expression she wore was one of guileless arousal, desperate longing, and strangely, a sense of understanding.

She shattered his resolve with three simple words.

"It can wait…"

And she lunged forward, wrapping her arms around him again as she pressed her soft lips against his.

Though she wasn't quite sure what had come over her, Kagome held on, valiantly ignoring the niggling fear that she'd been a little too forward, too brazen as Sesshoumaru stiffened in her arms. He soon put her fears to rest, not only responding to the kiss, but conquering it. He threaded his fingers through her hair, pulling her so tightly against him that she could barely breathe. He tasted her lips, massaged them with his tongue and coaxed her to open and join him in this new and heated exchange.

* * *

Morning, Sesshoumaru decided, staring up at the waning moon, was still a few hours away. A gentle breeze came in from the north, and he could hear the water below as it rippled and churned, its rhythmic waves breaking against the coast.

In his arms, Kagome rested quietly, dressed in nothing but his under kimono. She was very tired, he could tell, her slow, even breathing warm against his chest, even through the silk of his outer kimono.

Her scent was off though, and her pulse seemed to be gradually weakening.

He looked down at her, not at all pleased with the pallor of her skin. She suddenly stirred, stretching feebly before her eyes fluttered open.

"Hi," she sighed, a small smile tilting the edge of her lips.

He didn't respond verbally, opting instead to brush a few stray hairs from her brow. She blinked, her smile growing a little brighter.

"You know," she said, sounding nonchalant, "this mission didn't go anywhere near as well as I'd hoped."

The youkai chuckled wryly. "I am inclined to agree with that assessment."

Her smile faded. "I don't feel so well." she admitted, almost so quietly he didn't hear.

Convulsively, his arms around her tightened, as if to keep her from slipping from his grasp. He'd suspected as much, but hearing her say it aloud caused an unpleasant lump to form at the base of his throat. The truth was, he didn't feel so well either. His demonic energy had been depleted substantially when he'd used Bakusaiga, and seemed to be dwindling more and more with each passing moment.

"That snake… he didn't get me as good as he'd meant to, but I think," she said, sighing, "I think he managed to poison me."

His brow furrowed with displeasure, though there wasn't much he could do to help her. "Are you in pain?"

"No. I'm just… tired. And hot." She trembled against him, nuzzling his chest as she fisted a hand in his kimono.

Her expression grew somber. "I don't know what's going to happen, Sesshoumaru, to either of us, but I don't think it's looking too good right now."

She lifted a hand to gently stroke his face. "But that's okay I guess. I forgive you, by the way."

"Forgive me?" the daiyoukai wanted to know, thinking she was referring to her injury.

"Yeah," she said, closing her eyes, "for what happened to Inuyasha."

"You… know about that?" he said, and she managed a soft giggle at the puzzlement in his voice. "How?"

"I've suspected it for a while now, but I wasn't sure until you mentioned that you needed to tell me something." She released his kimono, letting her hand fall to her chest.

"So you knew, and yet you would," he faltered, noting the faint blush that painted her cheeks. "You would… forgive me so easily? Why?"

She sighed. "I won't pretend to know what happened between the two of you, but in spite of everything, I don't think you really meant for him to die. I think you regret it." The daiyoukai was silent, reflecting on her words. "Besides," she pressed on, "You tried to bring him back, tried to save him. That's more than I could have done." she looked up at him, her expression grim. "Do you have any idea how many times I accepted his firerat haori, and then thought he'd been killed because he didn't have it? I know it's not really the same thing, but I'd kinda feel like a hypocrite if I didn't forgive you."

"You are a remarkable woman, Kagome."

"Not really," she said, smiling wryly, "I'm probably just delirious from snake poison."

They were silent for a long time before she finally said. "If… if I die, I want you to put my body into the sea. If more demons come up here, I don't want them to get me. Will you make me that promise?"

Something inside him _ached_, and he leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. At his side, he found the hilt of Tenseiga, his claws brushing its textured surface. He barely repressed a growl, his fingers curling into a tight fist, because he knew, if it came to that, he would not have enough power to wield it. There was truly nothing he could do for her, except…

"I give you my word."

* * *

This chapter was EXTREMELY difficult to write! Good heavens! Neither the battle scene, nor the citrus scene turned out as fantastic as I'd hoped, but my brain is too fried to keep messing with it. Oh, and as far as the bleak note on which this chapter ended, just hang in there with me, we still have the epilogue to go!

Anyway, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!


	22. The Epilogue

Absolution's Pursuit

The Epilogue

* * *

In the distant regions of the north, there is a range of mountains near the sea.

Having stood since the beginning of time, it is an eerie place, uninhabited by any human. It is strange to say, but there seems to be a barrier there. A barrier that wards human beings away, though the animals are permitted to pass through with ease.

There are some who believe the last youkai society resides there.

According to legend, it was centuries ago when youkai roamed the lands freely, hunting, raising families and making lives for themselves, just as any other creature. Some took on the forms of great and mystical beasts, while others resembled human beings. All were said to possess great strength, power and healing abilities not afforded to any man or mortal creature.

For a time, the youkai and mortal creatures shared the lands in peace, a healthy curiosity between the different species and nothing more. However, times were not always easy and food was sometimes scarce. From time to time, the youkai preyed upon the mortals. From time to time the mortals preyed upon the youkai. Life and death have always circled around one another in an endless dance, and human flesh was just as satisfying as any.

It was not until the most powerful youkai truly set themselves against humanity that things began to change. Believing themselves the superior species, the youkai turned against the humans, no longer hunting them merely as a means of survival, but for the sheer pleasure of shedding their inferior blood. In less than half a century, man was driven to the brink of extinction! Unwilling to see their greatest creation wiped clean from the earth, the gods decided to intervene. Priests, priestesses and monks were born, all possessing a touch of godly power, the likes of which no human had ever known. It was this intervention that brought the humans back from the fringes of oblivion, but the race for survival was not yet complete.

As the humans grew stronger in power, numbers and intelligence, the demons began to adapt, matching and outmatching the strength of the humans. Their numbers began to rise once more, and their audacity increased one-hundred fold as they began attacking the gods' chosen protectors.

It was in this that the youkai sealed their own fate.

The very air began to change. Mortal creatures did not register the difference, but the delicate waves of purity that washed through the air began to burn the lungs of hostile youkai. It leeched them of their strange and awesome powers, sapped them of their immeasurable strength and left them no more powerful than the mortals they had come to abhor. They were condemned to a slow and pitiable demise. But, as with all creatures the more powerful of the species were resilient and did not die off right away. Some even sought a means of escaping the gods' wrath.

It is said, that only one succeeded. His name, is Sesshoumaru.

Hailing from the lands of the west, Sesshoumaru was born the prince of dogs. Unlike his father before him, the young prince did not care for humans. He was a cold, heartless creature, his every action strategic and calculated to serve his own purposes. The young prince even went so far as to murder his only brother, merely because the boy was a half-demon, a stain upon his family's pure blood and a constant reminder of his father's love for humanity.

For many years he lived and ruled his territory with impunity for his transgressions, until the day his great and terrible father, the Inu-no-Taisho returned from the grave, warning him of the terrible fate set before him.

Initially, Sesshoumaru believed himself above punishment from the gods, but was soon convinced that a pathetic demise awaited him when his seemingly endless power began to wane. When asked how such a tragic demise could be avoided, the Inu-no-Taisho told his son that he must seek a means of absolution, though no specific instructions were given.

The prince of dogs then went on a quest to seek a solution. Along the way, he met a young maiden. The woman was familiar to him, for she had been a companion of his departed brother. Believing it would grant him sway with the gods, the young prince offered the maiden his protection. The maiden agreed and the pair began traveling together.

Eventually, the inu prince consulted his father's most trusted vassal for advice. '_If there is a means of absolution,' _the old youkai had said, _'You would have to journey far and wide to find it.' _When the prince readily agreed, he was told he would have to go far into the north, and high into the mountains. As the air is much thinner in the mountains, the purity that swept the lands was less effective there. Most of the weaker demons had already began dying off, but in the mountains they ran in droves. The prince of dogs was still immensely powerful and therefore unconcerned about the weaker demons, but for the young maiden, traveling into the mountains meant great peril. Knowing the danger, the pair traveled to the mountains anyway.

At dusk they arrived at its peak, and even though it was eerily quiet, the presence of the youkai could be felt by both the maiden and her companion. It is true most demons are emboldened by the dark, so as night began to fall, the tenuous danger became a solid, tumultuous entity. Slowly at first, the youkai seemed to creep in from all corners, stalking the pair's encampment and seeking the flesh of the woman. They were unable to flee the mountains and had already devoured every mortal beast that resided there. Many were ravenous, hungering for flesh and power in order to ensure their own survival. Since the female would provide both, the youkai set their unwavering sights upon her, their empty, desperate bellies demanding their pursuit.

As time crawled on, the youkai became more and more persistent and Sesshoumaru was forced to fight them off in the interest of protecting the maiden. He was a powerful and accomplished warrior, but the numbers were not in his favor. In spite of his best efforts, the maiden was injured and the prince of dogs was forced to unleash his most powerful attack in order to vanquish the remaining threats that surrounded her.

From all outward appearances the maiden's injury was only minor, and the pair did the best they could to tend to it. As he looked at her fragile skin, torn and bleeding because he had not been able to prevent it, he realized how much he had come to care for her. True she was human and her body was weak, but the woman possessed an inner strength to be admired and feared. It was this which had earned his respect.

That night, high in the northern mountains, the prince of dogs gathered the young maiden into his arms and the two became one, the timeless dance of intimacy forging a new and powerful bond between them; one which could never be broken.

Unfortunately for the pair, things are not always as they seem, for the maiden's injury was not so innocuous as it had initially appeared. She'd been poisoned, and the prince, weakened and exhausted from the energy he'd expended to protect her, had not detected the scent of it until it was far too late.

The maiden and youkai were dying.

The morning sun found the pair in a lovers' embrace, warm and sated and pale. The woman was weak, for she was only human, so when the night fell upon them again, the maiden had died.

Devastated by her loss and convinced that no absolution existed for him, the prince of dogs discarded his enchanted armor and laid down his powerful swords. He gathered the woman's limp, cooling body into his arms and slowly descended the mountain. The gods had set a terrible fate upon him and the life he would have lead was gone, scattered to the four corners of the earth, never to be seen again. He was destined to die, but _how_ he departed the land of the living remained in his own hands.

The sprawling blue sea lay ahead of him and the prince moved toward it with unblinking eyes and resolve in his heavy heart. He did not flinch, did not turn back when the cool water lapped at his ankles. Was unconcerned when it rose above his hips. In fact, he did not stop at all, even when the icy waves closed over their heads.

Even in death, Sesshoumaru's grip held firm; the maiden remaining trapped in his embrace as an unseen force pulled them at last to the bottom of the sea.

So deep had the pair drifted beneath the icy waves, that not even the pallbearers of the afterlife could reach them. Their spirits remained trapped on the ocean floor, even as their bodies were consumed by the elements and time.

No one knows how long they remained, but in time the spirits became more and more cohesive, even fusing with the water that surrounded them. In time, they would emerge again, the cool crisp sea parting before them as they reemerged to the world above. The fated pair lived again, though changed from what they once had been. Upon each of their faces, the sea had kissed its mark; a pale blue droplet upon Sesshoumaru's brow, and perpetual "tears" that leaked from the outer corners of Kagome's eyes. The markings sparkled in the morning sun. Their long hair, hers darker than his, also bore the brand of its depths; and as they moved, the trailing, aquamarine strands fell in waterlogged heaps behind them.

They had become elemental youkai, reborn with the ability to control the water in all its forms.

It is said that the pair claimed the northern mountains as their home, mated and had many children. Over time, they were joined by other youkai who sought refuge from the humans who still feared them, in spite of their lack of malice. Those who resided there, built their exquisite, awe inspiring homes in and around the mountains, creating a beautiful village that stretched from its high peaks down to the shore of the sea.

Spreading thick layers of mist about its inland borders, the youkai safeguarded their home so that their children could live in safety. The animals were not a threat, but humans who feared them would seek to wipe them out. It was for that reason that the barrier was placed. Any human who sought passage would be turned away, though without being harmed. Even though the pair now held the status of some of the most powerful youkai ever known, they still realized that their continued survival hinged on amiability toward humanity. Not even elementals are above the gods' wrath.

It has been many centuries now, and some believe that the elementals yet live. No one knows for certain, but it is quite possible, even probable that the youkai occasionally masquerade themselves as humans and venture down from the mountains to visit the outside world.

…

Sighing softly, Kagome closed the ancient book, its pages faded and worn with the passage of many years. For several moments, she watched as the boy slept, carefully tucking a lock of pale blue hair behind his pointed ear. She smiled, her own thick, cerulean tresses spilling over her shoulder as she leaned forward to press a petal soft kiss against his brow.

"Sleep well my son…"

She lifted herself from the boy's bed and quietly left the room. Outside, Sesshoumaru was waiting for her and she looked at him and smiled.

"Do you never tire of that story?" he asked stoically, though his eyes fell upon her with gentle warmth. Having learned to read his emotions centuries before, she could no longer see the frosty indifference that would be perceived by those who did not know him well.

She walked up to him, her silken robes whispering quietly against the polished floor as she held the gaze of her beloved. "It's never failed to put any of the children to sleep," she admitted cheerfully, before carefully cupping his face in her delicate clawed hands. He acquiesced as she pulled him close, the warmth of her lips pressing against the pale blue mark that graced his brow.

She missed the crescent moon that had once resided there, as well as the magenta stripes that had graced his high cheeks, but their loss was a small price to pay for everything they'd gained.

She pulled away, her eyes shining as she moved to his side and wrapped an arm around his waist. Unhesitant, Sesshoumaru returned her sidelong embrace and the pair turned and made their way down the long corridor.

"Besides," Kagome said at last, "It's a really great story."

~Owari~

* * *

Yay! The story is FINALLY completed! I am so happy! This final chapter is the one that inspired the whole story! I've never written one where I turned Kagome into a demon before, so when I thought of how I'd do it, this is what I came up with. I really hope you all enjoyed this little tale!

I'd also like to send out a special thanks to **Creature of Shadow! **She has been a HUGE supporter of my work for quite some time now and I can't tell her how much I appreciate it!

Thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, nominated and voted for the Dokuga awards. It has been an honor and a privilege!


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